


Second Chances

by Quinnion



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bigotry & Prejudice, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Champion Shiro (Voltron), Consent Issues, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Developing Relationship, Discussion of Abortion, Dissociation, Eventual Smut, Flashbacks, Galra Keith (Voltron), Getting Together, Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Intersex Keith (Voltron), Kissing, M/M, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Miscarriage, Morning Sickness, Mpreg, Multi, Name-Calling, Nightmares, Oral Sex, Panic Attacks, Pre-Canon, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Psychological Trauma, Rape Aftermath, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Slavery, Slow Burn, Sparring, Torture, Touch-Starved, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex, Violence, i'll tag it that just in case, mostly allura tho, no abuse between Shiro and Keith tho, not really tho cause he's an alien but whatever, wanna make sure that's clear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-02-23 16:11:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 70,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13193727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinnion/pseuds/Quinnion
Summary: Instead of growing up on Earth with no knowledge of the Galra or his mother, Keith is born into the Galra Empire. Seen as lesser due to his human side, he is forced into sexual slavery at a young age, serving Galra soldiers of all positions, and by rising up in the ranks, he earns himself a spot in Zarkon's harem. Keith survives by staying close to the Emperor, the safest place for someone of his status, and is often giving to high ranking officials as a gift.Long after all his hope of escape is gone, Keith is given to Shiro, the reigning Champion in the arena, and forms an unlikely bond with him. As prisoners of Zarkon in one way of another, they find comfort in each other and Keith can't help hope that with Shiro's help, he could someday escape his situation, finding a purpose beyond being a toy for others.(Updating every Tuesday & Friday)





	1. An Unexpected Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro expected some time to recover from his last battle but instead Keith is thrown into his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I know it's been a long time since I've published anything but that's because I've been working on this super long fic for months. I've written most of the chapters and I've just started editing them so I figured this would be a good time to start posting it. This is the longest fic I've ever written, three times as long as the runner up, and I worked super hard on it. Please read the tags before you read and I hope you enjoy it!

Drops of sweat roll down Shiro’s forehead and cool down his skin, his bloody arms trembling as he holds himself up above the metal basin. He keeps his eyes closed so he doesn’t have to look at his reflection in the water, barely noticing that the metal edge is cutting into his palms. Shiro rides out the waves of adrenaline washing through his body, the effects of the injection of green fluid they always give him before a fight starting to fade, and shudders violently.

Shiro’s knees start to ache and blood drips down the side of the basin but he doesn’t move. Once he finally starts to feel like himself again, he opens his eyes and his muscles relax. Shiro lifts his head and grabs the worn out cloth hanging off of the edge of the basin with a shaky hand, soaking it in the water before he starts scrubbing blood that isn’t his off his arms. 

Even after all the blood is gone, he keeps going and rubs his skin raw. Once Shiro feels a stinging pain all over his arms, he stops and hangs the cloth over the edge of the basin. He snaps his head up when he hears the door to his cell slides open, a blinding light pours into the dimly lit room. Thankfully the drugs are out of his system or else he’d immediately lash out at the Galra soldier standing in the doorway and the smaller person next to him; he’s unable to make out their faces because of the light shining in from behind them. 

Shiro faces them and clenches his fists, getting into a defensive stance and getting ready to fight if he needs to. Usually they give him at least a day to rest after being in the arena before doing experiments so he’s on edge about this visit. 

“Champion,” the soldier says, his voice monotone and deep, “Zarkon was pleased with your performance in the arena and sent over a gift for the night,” he says, grabbing onto the hair of the smaller figure, causing the other to let out a quiet cry, and pushing him inside roughly. As the person was pushed inside the cell he fell and sits on his knees, his head down and his ears pressed back in fear. 

Shiro can see now that he’s Galra although he’s thinner with lighter skin and much less fur; he’s guessing he’s either runt or perhaps some sort of Galra hybrid. He looks over the others frame and notices he’s wearing a rather revealing silk robe that hangs off of him loosely. Based off of his clothing, he’d say he’s a high class sex slave. Before Shiro can ask the guard what this is about, the door closes and it’s just the two of them. 

The Galra curls his fingers into small fists and doesn't look up at Shiro, keeping his eyes on the floor, “Champion,” he mutters, his voice small, “I am yours to do whatever you want with for the night,” he manages to recite his line, fear and anger pooling in his gut.

Shiro should have guessed Zarkon would do something like this and presses his lips together. He feels disgusted when he realizes he wants this boy. He’d like nothing more than to take the beautiful creature in front of him and savor in the sex and affection he’s been denied for so long. 

But Shiro’s morals won’t let him indulge in his desires, the Galra obviously doesn’t have much choice in the matter and the last thing he wants to do is force himself onto someone. Although Shiro just wants to ignore the slave until they take him back, he feels the need to show him some compassion; they’re both prisoners of Zarkon in one way or another. 

Shiro approaches the Galra slowly and crouches down in front of him, keeping a good distance between them, “What’s your name?”

The slave furrows his brow in confusion and glances up at him quickly, not expecting that sort of question, especially from the feirson Champion he’s watched tear people apart. He hesitates for a while since he hasn’t been trained to answer that particular question before he speaks up, “Keith,” he whispers.

Shiro’s eyes widen at the human name and tilts his head, “Keith?” he repeats, “That’s a human name.”

Keith doesn’t seem surprised by that and nods slowly, “Yes, apparently my mother wanted me to have a human name.”

“Why?” Shiro asks, “Was your mother human?”

Keith shakes his head, “No. My father was,” he replies quietly, “My mother was Galra.”

Shiro sighs softly and nods in understanding, “Are a slave because you’re half human?” he asks curiously, having heard his guards talk about half breeds in more than derogatory ways. 

Keith nods a bit and shifts his weight slightly, confused as to why the Champion is asking all these questions, “Yes...Half breeds are filth and a disgrace to the Galra species,” he replies, repeating words that have been said to him countless times. 

Keith looks up at Shiro and scoots closer, trying to be as confident as he can when he puts his hand on the other’s thigh, “Are you going to take me or what, Champion?” he whispers, his voice shaky. 

Shiro tenses and looks down at his hand, taking it before gently setting it down on the ground, “I’m not going to do anything like that,” he says firmly, pushing away his urges. 

Keith’s eyes widen and he shakes his head, his chest tightening and forcing his breath out, “But you have to,” he chokes out, his voice cracking. 

Shiro didn’t expect this sort of reaction and looks at him worriedly, “I...What do you mean? You obviously don’t want any of this,” he replies hesitantly. 

Keith forces a smile and takes a deep breath before he climbs onto Shiro’s lap, straddling his hips and resting his hands on his chest, “I do want you,” he says quietly, managing to keep his fear out of his voice, “Please, give me what I want.”

Shiro stares up at him in shock and all his muscles pull tight at the sudden contact, “You’re trembling,” he comments, “I can feel your hands shaking against my chest. You’re forcing yourself to smile. You’re scared Keith and I’m not going to do anything like that to you.”

Keith bites down on the inside of his cheek but it doesn’t stop tears from building up in his eyes, “Y-you have to,” he whispers, hanging his head as he lets out a sob. 

Shiro’s heart aches at the sound and very slowly moves his hand around Keith, placing it on the boy’s back. He jolts at the touch but once he adjusts to it, Shiro starts rubbing soothingly, trying to comfort him, “What will happen if I don’t?” he asks after a moment, not sure if he wants to know the answer.

Keith grips Shiro’s shirt tighter, balling his fists up, and shudders at the thought, “They’ll punish me for not being able to seduce you. For not being good enough,” he mutters, “What...What they do if I fail is so much worse than one more night with a stranger.”

Shiro stops moving his hand along his back and presses his lips together in a thin line, a deep feeling of dread overwhelming him as he realizes he’s going to lose no matter what he decides to do. Either he sleeps with Keith and abandons the last shred of his morals that remain or he doesn’t and indirectly puts him through incredibly painful torture that Shiro knows all too well. 

“Fuck,” Shiro whispers, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries to think of a better solution to all this. He sighs shakily and opens his eyes, “Fuck,” he says again, a bit louder.

Keith frowns and looks at him nervously, wondering what’s going through the other’s mind. Shiro looks down at him and sighs in defeat, nodding slowly, “Okay,” he whispers.

Keith raises his brow at that and looks at him in surprise, “Okay what?” he asks after a moment of silence. 

Shiro drags both his hands over his face, “I’ll do it,” he mutters, “I’ll...sleep with you,” he adds, barely able to get the words out. 

Keith forces a smile and nods quickly, “O-okay, I...Thank you,” he whispers. Although he’s not looking forward to having sex with someone unwillingly, it’s better than what would happen if Shiro didn’t agree.

Keith slides off of his lap and stands up, taking Shiro’s hand and leading him to his cot. He smiles up at Shiro and hums softly, “I promise it’ll be good for you.” 

Shiro feels even worse about this whole situation, especially since he knows deep down he does need some sort of sexual outlet to release his pent up stress and frustration. He just doesn’t want it to be someone who’s being forced into it. 

Keith lays back on the cot and pulls Shiro on top of him, the other man climbing over him. The Galra gazes up at Shiro and runs his trembling hands over his broad chest, trying to get him aroused. He easily strips off his loose silk robe and lets his legs fall open, completely exposing himself. 

Shiro can’t help look down and holds in a gasp at the sight, not realizing that Galra biology might not be the same as human biology. He’s surprised to see Keith has a member that looks a lot like a human cock except that it’s purple and it has odd looking ridges along as well as slit with folds inside right under the length. Shiro swallows thickly and hesitantly places his hand on Keith’s body, caressing his sides.

Keith instinctively flinches at the touch and tenses up, not at all seeming to enjoy any of this even though he still lets out a breathy moan. Shiro frowns slightly and pauses for a moment, “Are you okay?” he asks worriedly. 

Keith looks up at him and nods, giving him his best lustful look, “Yeah...Keep going,” he purrs. Shiro hesitates and nods before he decides to keep going, hoping his reaction was a one time thing. 

Keith tilts his head back and closes his eyes, his chest rising and falling a bit faster than usual. Shiro leans forward and presses a tender kiss to his neck, causing the other to jolt slightly. He pulls back again and notices the momentary flash of fear in Keith’s eyes. Shiro’s member, which was just starting to harden, becomes completely flaccid and he pulls back, “I can’t do this,” he whisper.

Keith frowns and opens his eyes, sitting up and propping himself up with his elbows behind him, “What do you mean?”

Shiro shifts his position so he’s sitting on the edge of the cot, “I just...I can’t do this,” he replies, “You don’t want this and I can’t, morally and physically, do this if my partner isn’t willing.” He turns to look at Keith sadly, “I’m so sorry but I can’t,” he says, guilt washing over him. 

Keith furrows his brow and closes his legs, suddenly feeling ashamed for being so exposed, and puts his clothes back on, “You don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault you’re not a bad person.”

Shiro clasps his hands in his lap and sighs in frustration, “I know that but you’re going to get punished because of me,” he replies, “And you didn’t do anything wrong. So I’m still sorry” 

Keith had never experienced compassion like this before and honestly doesn’t really know what to do with it. He blinks at Shiro a few times and slowly wraps his arms around him, hugging him awkwardly and patting his back, “It’s okay,” he whispers.

Shiro’s eyes widen at the embrace and he slowly relaxes into it, suddenly realizing how much he’s missed being held and feeling physical affection. He returns the hug and pulls Keith against his chest, causing the other to gasp. Shiro clutches onto his clothes and buries his face into the crook of his shoulder, inhaling his scent deeply. He presses their bodies as close together as he possibly can and, after a while, feels Keith start to relax against him. 

Shiro sighs shakily and closes his eyes, completely overwhelmed by the simple affection, “I missed this,” he mutters.

Keith hums against his neck, “Missed what?” he asks, his words muffled.

“Being held,” Shiro replies quietly, “I didn’t even realize how much I missed it,” he adds. Keith smiles and tightens his arms around Shiro in response, sighing contently and nods in understanding.

“I can’t really remember ever being touched like this,” he replies after a while. Shiro’s chest tightens and he threads his fingers through Keith’s hair, his fingers brushing against his surprisingly soft ears.

Shiro gently starts swaying their bodies from side to side, both for his comfort and Keith’s, while he combs the other’s hair, carefully working through the knots and tangles. He isn’t sure how long they stay like that, curling around each other, and feels as if he’s floating between consciousness and sleep. Shiro hasn’t felt better than this since he got here and never wants the moment to end.

Cameras hidden in the room project video to the surveillance room where dozens of Galra monitor everything that’s going on on the ship. The soldier managing the prison halls was instructed to wait two vargas for Keith to get the job done before intervening. He sees the two are still holding each other and orders three guards to go fetch the slave and bring him back to Zarkon. They salute him and go down to the prison halls, walking in sync towards Shiro’s cell. 

Shiro snaps his head up when he hears his cell door slide open and he squints at the figures in the doorway, growling when one of them comes inside, “No,” he hisses, holding Keith tighter, “You said I could keep him for the night!”

The soldier shakes his head, “The whore isn’t doing his job and Zarkon instructed to bring him back to be punished,” he replies, reaching out to grab Keith. 

Shiro immediately pushes Keith behind him and lunges out toward the soldier, punching him square in the face. The soldier stumbles back but the other two easily pin Shiro down, jabbing an electrified weapon into his stomach just for good measure. Shiro screams in agony and struggles to sit up when they let him go. He can’t do much to help Keith, having to watch them drag him out by his hair as he whimpers, “D-don’t hurt him,” he calls out desperately. 

Shiro meets Keith’s gaze, his eyes full of fear and pain, just before the cell door closes, leaving Shiro alone in the darkness. He can still hear Keith’s muffled cries through the door, the sounds fading out as he’s taken down the hallway. Shiro gets on his knees and slouches forward, his forearms pressed against the cool metallic floor. He hangs his head and lets a few tears roll down his cheeks, unsure if he’ll ever see Keith again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 2 next Friday (1/19)


	2. Whips are Meant to Break You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro gets to see Keith again but the encounter is less than pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the second chapter. I know this one is pretty short but I promise the next one will be longer. Enjoy!

Shiro is left in his cell for what feels like days but he can never be too sure how much time has passed; it might just be hours for all he knows. He spends his time thinking about Keith, trying to sleep with no luck and pacing around the small space. Eventually, a meal is delivered to him through the small slit at the bottom of the door. Shiro picks up the tray and eats the cheap, tasteless food slowly. Once he’s done he pushes the tray back through the slit to be collected. 

Usually Shiro is let out to train with supervision from a number of soldiers but no one comes for him; he’s sure this is his punishment for refusing Keith. He leans against the wall and slides down it until he’s sitting down. Shiro pulls his legs against his chest and wraps his arms around them, resting his head on his knees. He closes his eyes and somehow falls asleep, his exhausted body begging for it despite the nightmares that his mind knows will come. 

Shiro isn’t sure how long he sleeps but quiet footsteps coming down the hallway wake him up. He stands up when hears the person stop in front of his cell and the door slides open, revealing two Galra soldiers, “Come with us Champion,” one of them says, “Zarkon wants to see you.”

Shiro lets them bring him out of his cell and walks between them, their hands holding his arms even though he hasn’t run or resisted in what feels like forever. The soldiers bring him to Zarkon’s throne chamber and he’s pushed down onto his knees once they’re inside. Shiro looks up to see Zarkon on his throne as usual but he quickly notices a figure sitting on the floor next to him. 

Shiro gasps sharply and his eyes widen when he recognizes the small figure as Keith, his head hanging down with his hair covering part of his face. Keith is crying quietly, tears streaming down his face, and trembles hard. A metal collar around his neck connects to a chain, the end of which is in Zarkon’s hand. 

“I was told my gift didn’t please you,” the Emperor says after a moment of silence, glancing at Keith, “I’m surprised my whore wasn’t good enough but I had him punished on your behalf.”

Shiro keeps his eyes down and bites back a response about how he never asked for a gift, “It didn’t have anything to do with K-your whore, sir. I wasn’t in the mood to use him, I had just finished a fight,” he explains.

Zarkon scoffs, “I expect you to accept my gifts no matter what mood you’re in,” he snaps back angrily, “Would you like to see what your rejection caused?” he asks, not waiting for an answer before he tugs on the chain harshly. 

Keith yelps in surprise as he’s jerking forward and quickly regains his balance, “Turn around and show him,” Zarkon orders. Keith swallows thickly and nods, scooting his body around so he’s turned away from Shiro. 

Shiro almost gags when he gets a look at Keith’s back. His skin is littered with fresh, blood lashes which cover old scars. The cuts are deep and some of them still bleeding; it’s obvious they were done very recently. The heavy weight of guilt presses down on Shiro and he feels tears build up in his eyes; despite only having just meet Keith, he feels a strong connection and responsibility to him. 

Zarkon chuckles at his reaction, having gotten what he wanted, “His punishment isn’t over yet so I was thinking you could watch the rest,” he says, immediately noticing Shiro is staring at the ground instead of Keith, “Every time you look away, he gets five more lashes.”

The Emperor turns toward Keith and snaps his fingers to call a Galra soldier who’s been standing at the back of the room waiting, “You know what to do.” Keith nods quickly and struggles to straighten himself up from his kneeling position, scooting over to Zarkon’s throne and grabbing onto the side of it. The Galra soldier takes the whip that’s hanging off his hip and lets it unroll, the smooth leather-like material pooling on the floor.

Shiro watches in horror and forces himself to keep his eyes on Keith, not wanting to cause him any more pain than he already has. The soldier brings the whip back into position once Keith is in place and shots his arm forward, a loud snapping sound filling the room as the whip comes down on his back. Keith’s whole body jolts and he lets out a gut wrenching scream, the long gash running diagonally across his back bleeds heavily. 

Shiro clenches his fists until his knuckles go white and he can barely stand watching the second hit before he bursts out, “Please stop!” he yells, pleading with Zarkon, “He didn’t do anything wrong! Punish me instead!”

Zarkon raises his hand and the soldier pauses, his arm still held back with the whip hanging behind him, “I know full well watching this will hurt you far more than taking the punishment.”

Shiro whimpers and tears start to burn in his eyes, “Please...Why are you doing this? What’s the point of hurting him!?” 

Zarkon chuckles softly and shrugs, “Maybe I just feel like it,” he replies. Shiro hates how casual and nonchalant he’s acting about all this, “Or maybe I want to see you break. You have been slacking off in the arena lately and I miss the old Champion. I think my whore will be the perfect encouragement for you,” he says before he drops his hand again. 

Shiro winces with each hit of the whip but refuses to tear his eyes away. Keith’s screams of agony escalate and his whole body shakes, struggling to keep itself up. Tears stream down his face freely and his eyes sting, puffing up and turning red. 

It seems to take forever for the soldier to deliver the final strike and Keith loses his hold on the throne from the force of the hit, collapsing in a pool of his own blood. Zarkon scoffs and looks down at him, unimpressed.

Shiro pants hard and stares at Keith in horror, fearing that he’s dead for a split second before the boy slowly pulls himself up and somehow manages to get into his kneeling position again. 

Zarkon orders the guards to take Shiro back to his cell until his next arena battle and they grab his arms, lifting him to his feet. Shiro shakes his head and struggles against their hold, “No I need to talk to him!” he yells.

“Keith!” he tries to get his attention but the other doesn't respond, too out of it, “Keith I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” he cries, his voice cracking as his eyes swell with tears. The guards keep their grip on Shiro and drag the screaming man out of the room and down the hallway. By the time they reach his cell, he’s crying out of frustration and they throw him inside roughly. 

Even when the cell door closes, Shiro doesn't get up and curls up on his knees, slamming his fists on the metal floor. He doesn’t bother keeping in his sobs and cries not for himself but for Keith, feeling as if he’s betrayed him. 

Shiro doesn’t know how long he stays kneeling on the floor but eventually he pulls himself up, his body sore from staying still for hours on end, and climbs onto his cot. He stares at the wall through the dim light and curls up, wrapping his arms around himself. Shiro’s eyes are just about to close, heavy from exhaustion, when he hears footsteps approach his cell. He lifts his head up and watches the small slit in his cell door that’s just eye level for a Galra soldier open. 

The Galra looks through it at Shiro and stares at him, his eyes empty of emotion, “Your next arena battle is coming soon,” he says, “If you win, Zarkon will grant you a night with his whore again to do whatever you want with. The cameras will be turned off,” he explains before closing the slit and walking away.

Shiro sighs in frustration and lets himself fall back against his cot, the sheets thin and dirty, “So that’s how it’s gonna be,” he whispers. Zarkon finally found something to get his Champion going again. If he pleases him, he’ll get the physical affection and company he craves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> UPDATE: I've decided to post twice a week instead of once so chapter 3 will be up on Tuesday (1/23)


	3. The Champion has Returned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith watches Shiro's arena battle and prays that he wins, for more than one reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to update every Tuesday and Friday because I realized if I do it every week I'm going to be posting well into July which is too long for me. Since I have everything written already I don't see the harm in updating more often and I can guarantee I'll be on time. 
> 
> This chapter is longer than the last one and makes up for how short chapter 2 was but from now on the shortest updates will be no less than 4 or 5 pages and the longest ones will probably be around 10 or 11. I also wanted to add that there will be rape/non-con stuff in this chapter and it's not too graphic but it is described; it's a short section but I wanted to warn you guys just in case. Well, I hope you enjoy this one! Bring on the angst.

Shiro is left in his cell for what he thinks is a few days, at least according to the number of food deliveries he’s gotten. He knows he’ll drive himself mad if he lets his mind wander, always inevitably ending up back to Keith, so he busies himself. Shiro eats his meals slowly, focusing on the taste and texture as he chews, and spends hours working out. He goes through all the Garrison exercises he knows and then some. Once Shiro exhausts himself after a few hours, he passes out. Usually when he wakes up, there’s food waiting for him and he repeats the process. 

This goes on until two Galra soldiers open his cell door and wake him up with a hard kick to his gut. Shiro groans in pain and holds his aching stomach as he looks up at them, glaring angrily, “You could have just shaken me awake,” he mutters.

The soldier ignores him and pulls him up off his cot by his shoulders, “It’s time to fight, Champion,” he says while the other soldier grabs his arms and cuffs them behind his back. Shiro grunts when they shove him towards the door and he walks out slowly. Once his cell is closed, they walk him down the hallway towards the arena, their grips tight on his arms.

_____________________________________________________

Keith is only given a few hours to rest after having his back healed by the druids before he’s put back to work. He ‘entertains’ a few high ranking Galra soldiers one after the other in the luxurious bedroom especially for that purpose. Keith is given the night to himself in his cell, which is much less nice than the room where he serves his clients. He takes a long shower, scrubbing away any and all remnants of the men, before he goes to sleep, practically passing out from exhaustion.

After years of this work, Keith has learned to zone out and run on autopilot, not really processing what’s going on around him. From the outside, he’s a proper, submissive slave that knows his place. Days can go by like that. Just Keith, deep in his own head, dissociating from his surroundings as a way to cope. 

Keith is suddenly pulled back into reality when he hears Shiro’s stage name booming through the loudspeakers, “-ucing, Champion! The most feared Gladiator in the Galra Empire!” Loud cheers and clapping fill the stadium and Keith realizes he’s watching an arena battle. 

Shiro is a tiny, almost unrecognizable figure to Keith from where he is but he can see him up close on the huge screens displayed all over the arena. His wrists are in chains and he’s wearing the usual slave outfit, a full black bodysuit and a degrading, tattered shirt. Shiro’s face is void of any emotion as the guards behind him shove him forward. He walks up the ramp that rises up to the ground of the area and once he’s out, the floor extends forward to cover up the ramp, trapping him in the large space.

Keith holds his breath when the roar of whatever monster they’re making him fight today echoes out from the other side of the arena. The screens show a shot of Shiro’s face before they switch to a wide view of the arena before focusing on the door where the roar came from slowly lifting up. The crowd keeps cheering loudly while the beast is revealed, a huge reptilian like species Keith doesn’t recognize. The creature carries a club like weapon with sharp spikes jutting out from it and bares its teeth as it roars once more. 

Keith jolts slightly when he hears Zarkon’s laugh from beside him. He turns to look at Zarkon, who’s sitting on his throne surrounded by high ranking generals and commanders, “This will definitely be an interesting fight,” he comments, “Won’t it, whore?” he asks, glancing at Keith.

The moment Zarkon meets his gaze, Keith quickly looks down and nods obediently, “Yes sir,” he says quietly, holding back his fear.

Zarkon hums softly and tugs on his chain, forcing him closer, “Are you rooting for him whore? I wonder if this battle will be different from his others because of you.”

Keith swallows thickly at that and presses his lips together, “I will be hoping for whatever outcome you want, Master,” he replies carefully, having learned a long time ago how exactly to respond to questions meant to trick him.

Zarkon chuckles at that and a Commander at his side does as well, “Your whore is very well trained Emperor,” he comments, grinning, “The best I’ve ever seen.”

“I only have the best,” Zarkon replies, “If you keep up your work, then I will let you have him, Throvok.” The Commander seems very pleased by this but Keith’s stomach clenches, knowing he’s notorious for his cruelty towards slaves. 

Keith ignores the rest of their conversation, not wanting to hear them say lewd things about him, and focuses back on the battle just as the monster lunges towards Shiro, who thankfully picked up the sword they left for him just in time. Keith clasps his hands together tight, his knuckles turning white, when Shiro blocks the club swinging down towards him. He’s only able to hold it off for a few seconds and tucks under it, running forward as the club smashes against the ground.

The creature loses a few precious seconds pulling out the spikes that got lodged into the ground, giving Shiro just enough time to make his move. He activates his Galra arm, the purple glow driving the crowd wild, and slashes it across his legs, cutting deep into his flesh. The monster bellows in pain and swings his club behind him but by then Shiro has already made his retreat, out of his immediate reach for now.

Keith watches the battle with wide eyes, his heart seizing up every time the club gets too close to Shiro. He yelps when he’s suddenly tugged to the side by the collar around his neck, moving towards Zarkon to give slack to the chain. Keith swallows thickly and faces Zarkon, “Yes, Master?” he asks politely. 

Zarkon pulls on the chain, bringing his hand as low as he can, forcing Keith to the ground. The other understands what he wants pretty quickly and kneels. Zarkon chuckles softly, “You’re paying too much attention to Champion and not enough to me,” he says as he grabs onto the back of Keith’s head with his large hand, dragging him forward between his legs. 

Keith winces and scoots forward on his knees, trying to keep up with Zarkon. He swallows thickly, quickly realizing what’s happening, “You know what to do,” the Emperor says above him, removing the armored plate over his crotch and letting Keith do the rest.

Keith has had to service Zarkon like this countless times and knows exactly what to do, it almost being second nature. He takes out his length, stroking it and licking it until it’s hard. Keith takes it into his mouth and, without mercy, Zarkon pushes his head down, causing him to gag. He closes his eyes, tears already forming, and struggles to breath while Zarkon moves his head up and down. 

Keith works on autopilot, his throat managing to take Zarkon’s brutal movements, and listens to the battle. He tries to figure out what’s happening over the cheering of the audience, managing to make out the clashing of weapons and the screams of the creature. Keith gags when Zarkon pushes his head farther down, struggling to relax his throat. Tears roll down his cheeks but the Galra doesn’t stop, only going faster.

He isn’t sure how long it takes Zarkon to finish but when he does Keith swallows down his load like he knows he should, cringing at the bitter taste. Zarkon pulls his head off his cock with a harsh tug of his hair and chuckles darkly as Keith coughs, his throat aching. 

Keith wipes way a few drops of cum that dripped down his chin and takes a deep breath, grunting when Zarkon pushes him away. He stands up slowly on shaky legs, his knees sore from kneeling. Keith shuffles back to his position next to Zarkon and looks back at the arena worriedly, just in time to see the end of the battle. 

Shiro took a hit at some point, his side bleeding, and pants heavily. He watches the monster with a calculating gaze and when the other makes his move, he lunges forward. Shiro slices his Galra hand through the club, severing the spiked end, before retreating quickly; even though the create is disarmed he’s still dangerous. 

Keith presses his hand over his mouth and tenses when the monster attacks again, his mouth open as he tries to bite his opponent with his sharp fangs. Shiro is swift to avoid the attack and uses the other’s position to go for his neck. He jabs his hand deep into the vulnerable flesh and the creature howls for just a second before it goes quite. It falls to the ground and the shouting of the crowd rises to a deafening level.

Keith sighs in relief and drops his hand, letting go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Shiro grunts as he pulls his hand out of the dead monster’s neck, there being no blood since his arm immediately cauterized the wound. He lifts his head up to look at the crowd, seeming to be scanning over the people for someone; Keith can’t help hope he’s looking for him.

Zarkon hums approvingly and looks at Keith, “I guess you’ll be seeing your Champion after all,” he muses.

Keith nods slowly and looks down, trying to hold back his relief, “If that’s what you desire, Master,” he replies, his voice monotone. 

The ramp Shiro came out of opens up again and two guards rush over to him. One quickly secures the clamp around his Galra arm to deactivate it while the other cuffs his wrists together behind his back. They lead Shiro down to the ramp and soon enough the next battle is underway.

Keith doesn't pay much attention to the battle and finds himself staring blankly at the faceless crowd. Eventually, Zarkon has a sentry escort him to Shiro’s cell, knowing Keith won’t even try to escape from a robot. 

Thankfully, by the time Keith reaches the cell, the drugs in Shiro’s system have worn off. The man looks up from his cot when his cell door opens and stands up quickly, having been awaiting the other’s arrival. Keith walks inside and the door slides closed behind him. Before he even has the time to say anything, Shiro is pulling him into a hug, “I’m so sorry,” he chokes out.

Keith’s muscles pull tight at the sudden touch and his eyes widen. He holds his stiff arms at his sides for a moment before slowly wrapping them around Shiro’s shoulders, “Uh, it’s okay,” he mutters. 

Shiro shakes his head and buries his face into Keith’s shoulder, hunching over, “N-no. No, it’s not okay,” he whispers, “It was my fault. If I had just-You got hurt because of me.”

Keith sighs softly and pats Shiro’s back awkwardly, “I would have lost either way, you know. Both options weren’t pleasant.” 

Shiro furrows his brow and pulls back, holding Keith’s shoulders firmly, “That’s not true. If I had slept with you, you won’t have gotten hurt. And I won’t have hurt you; I would have been gentle and kind,” he replies, “But because I didn’t want to give up my perfect moral record or whatever, you got something far worse.”

Keith looks down and nods slowly, unable to really argue with Shiro; he’s right after all. 

Shiro pulls Keith into the embrace again and enjoys the closeness just as much as last time, “If anything like that happens again, I won’t make the same mistake. I promise,” he pauses for a moment, “Did they say that you have to seduce me?” he asks.

Keith shrugs at that and closes his eyes, relaxing slightly, “They didn’t tell me anything. Just said that if you won, I’d be brought here. What did they say to you?”

“They told me if I won, I’d get you for the night to do whatever I want to with...and that the cameras will be turned off,” he explains.

Keith smiles faintly and sighs in relief, “That means I’m not expected to do anything. Well, I’m supposed to do whatever you want but I know you don’t desire me sexually.”

Shiro blushes lightly at the way he says that and nods, “Yeah. That’s good then.”

Keith pulls back from the hug after a while and pushes his thick hair back out of his face, “So, what do you want to do? I mean, we have a long time in here.”

Shiro thinks for a moment and smiles, “Well we could just talk,” he replies, “Get to know each other. And maybe cuddle if you’re comfortable with that.”

Keith tilts his head in confusion, “Cuddle?” he asks, unfamiliar with the word.

Shiro nods slowly and sits down on his cot, “Yeah, cuddle,” he replies, “Like, holding each other. As a way to find comfort.”

Keith smiles faintly and joins Shiro on the bed, “Show me?” he asks shyly. Shiro wraps his arms around Keith and slowly guides him to lay on the bed. The smaller male brings his legs up and sighs contently when Shiro presses his front side to Keith’s back, curling himself around him. Both of them shift their positions slightly and relax after a while. 

“This is...nice” Keith says quietly, tucking his arms against his chest. Shiro chuckles and hums in agreement, a few of Keith’s stray hairs tickling his nose.

“So, what is your home like?” Keith asks after a while.

Shiro isn’t sure how to explain his home planet so he just starts with the basic, assuming that Keith doesn’t know anything, “Okay so, we call it Earth. Which isn’t too original I guess. It’s a pretty small planet, compared to others we know of. And it’s covered mostly by oceans, which are um...very large expanses of salt water. But there’s land on it too and that’s where people live,” he explains.

“What are the people like? Are they all like you?” Keith asks quickly, cutting him off.

Shiro thinks about the question for a moment and shrugs, “I guess most people look similar to me. But people can be smaller and larger and have different body shapes. And no everyone’s skin is like mine and same with my hair and eyes...There are lots of different people and they speak all kinds of languages.”

Keith smiles at that and turns his body around in Shiro’s arms so he’s facing him, “Are they all kind like you?” he asks, his voice quieter this time.

Shiro’s cheeks flush lightly and he chuckles, “Well lots of people are kind. But some are cruel too. Some are like the Galra,” he replies, “There are wars and there’s suffering. But I like to think good people will fix things and try to make Earth a better place for everyone.”

Keith nods slowly and hums, nuzzling his face against Shiro’s chest, “That sounds nice. I wish I grew up there too.”

Shiro furrows his brow and sighs softly, “Have you ever been there?” 

Keith presses his lips together, “No,” he replies, shaking his head, “All I know is...Well I guess, what I’ve been told, is that my mother was on a mission to explore places the Galra had never been before but something went wrong. And she crash landed on Earth,” he explains, “She meet my father and I guess they fell in love, or I like to think they did,” he mutters, pausing for a moment.

“Anyways, my mother fixed her ship and had to leave Earth. She didn’t know she was pregnant with me and when she found out she tried to hide it. Eventually people figured it out and they took me away when I was born. I was a disgrace to them and my mother a failure and a traitor...I don’t know what happened to her,” he says, his voice getting quieter and quieter.

Shiro frowns and looks down at Keith sadly, “I’m sorry, about everything,” he whispers, rubbing his back soothingly. Keith sniffles and hides his face against Shiro’s chest, not wanting him to see his tears.

Keith’s body trembles at the comforting touch and he clings onto Shiro, managing to hold back his crying for now. He pulls back and wipes his face, hiccuping every once in awhile, “I’m sorry.”

Shiro smiles reassuringly and cups his face, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb, “What are you apologizing for?”

“For crying, I guess,” Keith replies with a shrug, looking down. 

Shiro sighs sadly and shakes his head, “There’s nothing wrong with crying,” he says firmly.

That statement only serves to confuse Keith and he doesn’t reply, just nuzzles his face back against the man. Shiro keeps rubbing his back as he relaxes in his arms. Although he intended to talk more with Keith, both of them are exhausted and drift off to sleep quickly, feeling safe and cared for for the first time in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 4 on Friday (1/26)


	4. Kisses Mean You Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The closer Keith gets to Shiro, the more he understands the reality of his situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another update right on schedule! In this chapter the slow burn really begins and I move on from the intro section of the fic to plot and character development. In this chapter I tried really hard to show how Keith deals with his situation and how what he's been through has been normalized so I'm hoping that turned out okay. Enjoy!
> 
> UPDATE: I just figured out from a comment someone left that I accidentally switched chapters 4 and 5. They are now in the right order so if you already read the most recent update (which is now chapter 4) i would just go back and read chapters 4 and 5 over again. Sorry about that!

Eventually, they come back for Keith and when the door to the cell slides open, the two of them are still holding each other. Shiro lifts his head up and squints his eyes from the blinding light. He pulls Keith closer and practically growls when the guards come into the room, “Don’t you dare touch him,” he hisses.

The guards stare at him blankly and one grabs onto Keith’s shoulders, hauling him off the bed and letting him tumble onto the floor with a surprised yelp, “He is not yours,” he replies, “Zarkon will only allow you to see him after you win another arena battle.”

Shiro scrambles up quickly and lunges towards the guard but the second one is ready, jabbing his back roughly with the electrified weapon, and rendering him disabled for a good minute or so. Shiro’s body twitches violently and he watches as Keith is dragging out of the cell, calling for him weakly until the door closes. 

After a while. Shiro regains mobility and manages to pull himself up. He stumbles over to the basin of water and throws off his tattered shirt, unzipping the back of his body suit to expose the burn left from the weapon. He soaks his rag in the cool water and presses it against the wound, hissing in pain. Shiro holds it there and keeps re-soaking it until it stops burning. 

He tosses the rag over the edge of the basin and flops down on his cot, lying on his stomach. Shiro wills himself to go back to sleep even though he’s not tired so he doesn’t have to dwell on thoughts of Keith.

_____________________________________________________

Since Shiro’s next arena battle is a little ways away, he’s let into his training room, a privilege he earned after winning dozens of battles. He’s surveilled by two guards while he trains, fighting robots and occasionally another person. Shiro spends most of his time leading up to the next battle training and sleeping, determined to win not just so he can live but so he can see Keith again. He knows he’s playing right into Zarkon’s hands but he doesn’t care anymore.

Shiro wins in the arena in record time, his heart pulsing at the thought of Keith; he has no idea how or why he’s grown so attached so quickly but he doesn’t question it. By the end, he’s covering in some strange alien blood and his ears are ringing from the sounds of the crowd. Shiro limps slightly as he’s led out of the arena, panting hard. 

He’s given some time in his cell to clean himself up and tend to his wounds before they send Keith in. Shiro smiles and sighs in relief when he steps inside and stands up to greet him, “Keith, I’m so glad to s-” he cuts himself off when he notices deep, bruises on the other’s neck, highly visible even against his pale purple skin, “What happened?” he whispers, his tone suddenly serious. 

Keith didn’t think much of the bruises since they’re such a daily occurrence for him and frown slightly, reaching up to touch them gently, “Oh yeah. It’s nothing,” he mutters, shrugging it off. 

Shiro frowns and shakes his head, refusing his dismissive answer, “Keith,” he says quietly, “Please tell me what happened.”

Keith presses his lips together and slumps down on the cot, the mattress stiff and uncomfortable under him, “It’s just one of my,” he pauses, searching for the right word, “clients. He gets pretty rough and likes to choke me, I guess,” he explains reluctantly, knowing that Shiro won’t stop pestering him until he tells him what happened. 

Shiro clenches his fists tightly and paces around a bit, only able to take a few steps before he reaches a wall and needs to turn around. Keith looks up and watches him with a confused look, raising his brow when Shiro stops and grabs the damp rag from the edge of the metal basin. 

He sits next to Keith, “Let me see,” he asks gently. The half-breed shrugs at that and tilts his head slightly, giving the other access. Shiro presses the fabric against his bruises, causing Keith to wince slightly, and cleans it up as best as he can, there being some blood from where the man’s claws pierced his skin. He puts the rag away once he’s done and sighs, “Sorry I can’t do anything more to help you.”

Keith forces a weak smile and shrugs, “It’s alright,” he replies, “That’s more than most people have done.”

Shiro sighs softly and scoots up the bed so he can lean against the wall, watching Keith do the same, “Does that sort of stuff happen often?” he asks after a while.

Keith tilts his head up and stares at the ceiling, shrugging and crossing his arms, two things Shiro noticed he does rather often, “I guess so, yeah. A lot of them are cruel and enjoy hurting me. I guess I’m used to it though.”

Shiro frowns slightly and grips the fabric of his body suit, “You shouldn’t be used to it,” he mutters, only getting a confused look from Keith, “How did you even get into this anyways?”

Keith seems reluctant to answer but feels he can trust Shiro, it’s not like he has anyone else to tell anyways, “Well after my mom was taken away, I was passed around to different caretakers. Most of them low level workers who wanted extra money for taking care of me,” he explains, “And when I was old enough, still a kit, I become a sex slave. And I working my way up the ranks until I was put into Zarkon’s harem and became one of his favorites. Which is where I am now.”

Shiro furrows his brow and lets out a shake sigh, “What’s a kit?” he asks.

“Oh, well I guess it’s another word for child,” he explains, realizing Shiro won’t know Galra terminology, “First when someone is born, they’re a baby or an infant. Then a kit. Then a juvenile. Then a young adult, that’s what I am now. And eventually an adult.” 

Shiro only frowns deeper at that grips the fabric of his clothes so tightly his knuckles turn white, “So you...You were a child when this all started?” he asks, almost whispering. 

Keith doesn’t seem at all surprised by that statement and nods slowly, “Uh yeah, that’s what I said. For most of us it does, they like to train and break us early.”

Shiro’s eyes widen in horror and he doesn’t have to words to express his sorrow for Keith so instead he just pulls him into a tight hug. Keith tenses up and returns the embrace slowly, pressing his face into the crook of his shoulder. He holds Shiro tightly and breathes deeply, afraid he’ll cry again; it’s funny to Keith since he didn’t even know he needed comfort moments ago. 

Keith sniffles and digs his fingers into Shiro’s shoulders, “It’s not normal is it?” he asks after a while, “What they do to me.”

Shiro nods slowly and pulls back so he can see Keith’s face, “No, it’s not,” he replies, “What they do to you is wrong and horrible.”

Keith clenches his jaw and grinds his teeth together, “It hurts so bad sometimes,” he growls, “Other times not as much, but it always hurts. They always say that I like it and that it feels good but they only fuck to please themselves!” he shouts, not meaning to raise his voice.

Shiro isn’t sure how to respond to that so he just nods and holds Keith tighter. He twists his body so he’s properly facing him and starts rocking their bodies from side to side. Keith calms down thanks to the relaxing movement and pulls back after a while, letting out a frustrated and defeated sigh. He rests his back against the wall and lets his head loll on Shiro’s shoulder.

Shiro reaches over and carefully takes Keith’s hand, slowly lacing their fingers together as the other watches curiously. He squeezes their hands and places them on his thigh. Keith smiles faintly and closes his eyes, his breathing steadying out.

They sit there in silence and enjoy the comfortable company while time easily slips by. Keith is deep in thought and after a moment decides to seek clarity on some things he isn’t sure about.

“What is human sex like?” he asks suddenly, causing Shiro to snap his head to the side and look at him with wide eyes.

“Um w-what? What do you mean what is it like?” he asks hesitantly.

Keith chuckles at how obviously embarrassed Shiro is and opens his eyes, “Is it painful too?”

Shiro’s expression falls and he looks down, “No, at least, it’s not supposed to be,” he replies quietly. 

“Then does it feel good?” Keith presses, insistent on knowing.

Shiro’s cheeks flush and he inhales deeply, “Yes, I suppose so,” he replies, able to tell Keith is still unsatisfied with his answer, “I’m not sure how Galra sex works but with humans it’s usually kissing and touching and typically-”

“Kissing?” Keith interrupts him, “What’s that?” He sees the confused look on Shiro’s face and smiles, “We don’t have anything called that.”

Shiro rubs the nape of his neck and runs his fingers through the short hair of his undercut, “Well, it’s when two people press their lips together.”

Keith furrows his brow and makes a look of disgust, “Why would people do that?”

Shiro chuckles at his reaction and shrugs, “Most people think it feels nice and it’s a way to show affection. To show the person you care about them.”

Keith seems to partly understand the concept and hums, “That doesn’t sound too bad. Why haven’t you kissed me then?” he asks bluntly, looking hurt.

Shiro only blushes harder at that and raises his brow, “Um, why would I do that?” he asks hesitantly, not wanting to offend Keith. 

“Don’t you care about me? You said people kiss when they care about each other,” he explains as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, his arms crossed.

Shiro bites his bottom lip nervously and nods slowly, “Yeah that’s pretty much true,” he replies, deciding to leave out that people who kiss don’t just care about each other but do so in a romantic way, “Do...Do you want me to kiss you?”

Keith gaze softens and he nods, “Yes. Only if want to too,” he replies immediately, already leaning closer. 

Shiro smiles tenderly and turns his body to face Keith, reaching up to cup his face, “Okay,” he whispers. He closes his eyes and he leans in and press their lips together. Keith jolts slightly at the foreign feeling but relaxes quickly, soon realizing he quite likes it. Shiro barely moves his lips to get Keith use to the sensation and smiles when he feels the other copy his movements.

Keith reaches up and wraps his arms around Shiro’s neck, the action feeling right, and joy blooms in his chest; he understands why people would do this. Shiro keeps the kiss chaste and pulls away after a while, guessing Keith hadn’t been breathing. His suspicions are confirmed when he hears Keith suck in a deep breath, “How was that?” he asks.

Keith smiles and looks up at him, still keeping close, “I really liked it,” he replies, “Could we do that again sometime?” he asks quietly, actually coming off as shy. 

Shiro caresses his cheeks and lets his hand drop to Keith’s side, holding him gently, “Of course we can,” he replies, “Whenever you want to.”

Keith sighs contently and pulls himself onto Shiro’s lap, curling up against his chest. Shiro wraps his arms around him without question and combs his fingers through his thick hair, and occasionally giving a quick scratch behind his large ears, wanting to give him as much comfort he can in the limited time that he has. 

Keith closes his eyes and relaxes against the larger man, letting out low rumbles from his chest that sound like what Shiro would describe as purrs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 5 on Friday (1/30)
> 
> UPDATE: I just figured out from a comment someone left that I accidentally switched chapters 4 and 5. They are now in the right order so if you already read the most recent update (which is now chapter 4) i would just go back and read chapters 4 and 5 over again. Sorry about that!


	5. Helping Hands can be Purple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finds an unlikely friend while enduring a difficult situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably one of my favorite chapters to write since the plot really thickens and there's hope for our sad bois. I'm really interested in knowing what you guys think will happen next so let me know if you have any ideas. Enjoy!
> 
> UPDATE: I just figured out from a comment someone left that I accidentally switched chapters 4 and 5. They are now in the right order so if you already read the most recent update (which is now chapter 4) i would just go back and read chapters 4 and 5 over again. Sorry about that!

Besides getting to see Shiro at least once a week, Keith’s day to day life hasn’t changed much. If anything he’s more discontent and miserable with his situation now that he’s got a taste for real kindness. He spends most of his time servicing high ranking officials like commanders and generals and the rest by Zarkon’s side, barely having any time to himself other than to sleep. 

Keith’s thighs and hips burn as he lays back against the bed, the silk fabric feeling nice against his back. He hears the door to his room close, sighing contently now that he knows he has at least a few minutes until the next man arrives. Keith rests his eyes for a moment before he pulls himself out of bed, moving into the small washroom. 

He quickly cleans himself up, scrubbing away the semen sticking to his thighs and leaking from his entrance. Keith discards the previous outfit he was wearing, which is really just a skimpy, almost see through robe, since it got ripped in certain places and puts on a new one he has ready. He washes his face with cold water before heading back to the room, sitting on the bed with his legs folding under him. 

Keith waits in that position for several minutes, his hands laying in his lap, until the door opens again. He lifts his head and his fake smile fades the moment he sees who it is, his eyes wide with fear.

Commander Throvok chuckles at his reaction and cracks his neck as he approaches, mostly just for the show, “I love how you’re already scared just knowing it’s me,” he muses, “How lucky am I that Zarkon finally let me have you? I’m so tired of the common whores.”

Keith scoots back against the bed until his back presses against the headboard, “Don’t come near me,” he growls, baring his teeth.

Throvok shakes his head in disappointment and crawls onto the bed, his large frame already seeming to dwarf Keith’s, “That isn’t really your decision now is it? Zarkon gave me permission to do what I want with you,” he pauses, “Well I’m not allowed to hurt you too much but, I’m willing to give up some points with him.”

Keith knows all too well what’ll happen if he lashes out at a client so he resists the urge to punch and scratch and claw at every inch of Throvok’s skin that he can reach, digging his fingers into the sheets instead. 

Throvok grabs his thighs, his claws breaking the skin, and yanks him down the bed so he’s under him. Keith yelps and turns his head to the side so he doesn’t have to look at the Commander’s face as he hovers over him. The stench of his breath causes him to gag and makes his nostrils flare and his eyes burn, tears already welling up.

_____________________________________________________

Shiro finished his last arena battle hours ago but Keith still hasn’t been brought to his cell and he’s getting frustrated but mostly worried. He starts calling out when he hears footsteps outside his cell but they always walk by him; he assumes they’re sentries just patrolling. Shiro keeps his ear to the door, listening for any noises. He shouts again the moment he hears someone approach and stands when they stop in front of his cell.

The slit opens and before the soldier says anything Shiro speaks up, “Why hasn’t Keith been brought to me?” he demands angrily, forgetting that he shouldn’t really be using his actual name.

The soldier frowns slightly, “Zarkon’s whore,” he pauses, empathizing Keith’s title, “isn’t available at the moment.”

Shiro furrows his brow and exhales slowly, trying to calm himself, “What do you mean? What happened to him?”

“He was injured while performing his services,” the soldier explains, “He’s being looked at by a doctor.” Before Shiro can ask any more questions, the slit closes and the soldier walks back down the hallway.

Shiro growls in frustration and starts banging on the door, “What do you mean injured?!” he yells, worried since he knows very well what type of services Keith is forced to provide, “Is he going to be okay!?”

He exhausts himself after a while, his skin glistening with sweat and his hands bruised from banging against the door. Shiro leans against the wall and slides down to sit on the floor, resting his head on his knee. He sighs shakily and hopes desperately that Keith is okay, unable to deal with the fact that he got hurt because he wasn’t able to protect him despite being a prisoner himself with no real way to help Keith.

_____________________________________________________

Keith isn’t sure at what point he passed out but he’s sure it was from the pain. He vaguely remembers a searing pain shooting through his hips when he was one his hands and knees, Throvok’s weight bearing down on his back. Keith recalls crying out in pain and bursting into tears, which only urged Throvok on, and begging for him to stop because he knew something had gone horribly wrong.

Keith knows he’s not in his room before he even opens his eyes, the bed and sheets under him foreign. His vision is slightly blurred as he looks around, quickly realizing he’s in the medical bay. He watches several people, who seem to be Galra nurses, tend to patients lying in beds much like his. Keith turns his head and finally spots a Galra doctor standing at his bedside, holding a hologram tablet. 

The light purple skinned man looks up from what he’s reading on the tablet and realizes Keith is awake. He smiles faintly, “Good, you’re awake. I’m Ulaz, your doctor,” he says, his voice oddly calming, “If you haven’t yet realized, you’re in the medical bay.”

Keith lets out a quiet groan and nods slowly, “What happened?” he asks, his words slurred as a side effect of the drugs he’s on.

Ulaz hums softly and sets the tablet aside, “Your hip fractured, almost broke, during your...activities,” he explains, “You were brought here and you’ve received treatment but you’ll need time to heal.”

Keith looks up at the ceiling and clenches his fists weakly, “Oh,” is all he says back. Memories of Throvok leaving him after he was done come back. Keith winces when he remembers how much pain he was in while he waited for the next man to inevitably come. He was slightly more sympathetic than Throvok and realized immediately something was wrong, calling for help although not without complaining how he’s waited weeks for Zarkon’s approval to let him have Keith. 

Ulaz presses his lips together and nods slowly, “You’ll need about three quintants to recover fully,” he explains, “But I upped it to five. Just to give you some more time without needing to work,” he adds quieter. 

Keith raises his brow at the unexpected gesture of kindness and smiles faintly, “I...Thank you,” he whispers, struggling to keep his heavy eyelids open, “That’s very nice of you.”

Ulaz nods curtly, “It’s the least I can do since I don’t agree with how you’re treated,” he replies, keeping his voice low to make sure no one hears him.

Keith is shocked to hear anyone, especially a high-ranking Galra doctor, speak out against the Galra but before he can really question Ulaz further, the drugs being pumped into his system quickly knock him out.

He isn’t sure how much time has passed when he wakes up again but he feels noticeably better, feeling more alert and aware of his surroundings; he guesses they lowered the amount of drugs they were giving him. Keith takes the time to look around, noticing the space is mostly empty of people save for a few other patients; he supposes it’s normal not to have many injuries to deal with in the center of Zarkon’s empire, it’s not like rebels would be able to launch an attack here. 

Keith relaxes against the mattress and pulls the sheets up slowly to look down at his lower half. His hips and lower stomach are wrapped in a tight bandages meant to restrict movement and protect his sensitive skin to help him recover from the healing procedure they did while he was passed out. 

He sighs softly and lowers the blanket, relaxing back against the mattress. He turns his head to see Ulaz entered the room. Keith can’t help smile slightly when he spots him, surprising himself by how quickly he gained trust in the man.

Ulaz stops at his bedside first and looks down at him, “How are you feeling today, Keith?” he asks as he turns on the tablet, an orange hologram lighting up.

Keith’s eyes widen at the sound of his name, up till now only Shiro ever called him by his real name, “Um, okay I guess, a bit better than yesterday.”

Ulaz nods and inputs the update into his chart, “That’s good,” he replies, starting up a scanning feature and holding the tablet over Keith’s hips. The device beeps once it’s completed the scan and Ulaz looks at the results, “Well your pelvis seems to be healing properly but you should stay still as much as possible for at least two quintants.”

Keith nods and before Ulaz leaves to check in on another patients he speaks up, “Wait,” he exclaims, still keeping his voice down, “Can...Can you do something for me?”

Ulaz turns off the tablet and lowers it, nodding a bit, “Of course. What is it you need me to do.”

Keith grips the edges of his blanket weakly and sighs softly, “You probably know of Champion,” he starts, waiting for Ulaz to nod before he continues, “Well he and I are....close,” he says, unsure how exactly to describe their relationship, “And I was supposed to meet him but this happened. So he’s probably worried. I need you to go to his cell and tell him what’s happened since I doubt anyone’s bothered to do that.”

Ulaz presses his lips together and nods without hesitation, “I’ll talk to him as soon as I can.” 

Keith smiles faintly and relaxes, sighing in relief, “Thank you, Ulaz.”

_____________________________________________________

Shiro is, of course, losing his mind in his cell that seems to be getting smaller by the minute while he thinks about Keith. For all he knows, he could have died from his injuries. For God’s sake, he saw the bruises around his neck and knows all too well how cruel the Galra can be; one of them might have gone too far and accidentally, or even purposely, killing him.

Nothing other than Keith’s absence has change for Shiro. He still gets his meals twice a day and each time the tray of food slides through the opening, he rushes over to the door and demands to see Keith or at least know if he’s okay. He never gets any answers.

Shiro finished his last meal about two hours ago and is currently entertaining himself by gently rocking his body from side to side, shifting his weight as much as he can before he actually falls over. He jolts when he hears footsteps approaching and moves to the door. Shiro hears the sound stop right in front of his cell and waits for a few tense moments before the door slides open.

Shiro takes a defense stands as he looks up at the tall, Galra soldier, watching him with narrow eyes, “I am Ulaz and I have information about Keith.” That’s all he needs to hear to relax and let him inside, the door closing behind him.

“He is under my care and will be fine,” Ulaz says without inquiry, “A Commander named Throvok fractured his pelvis and he will be in recovery for five quintants.”

Shiro clenches his fists angrily and grinds his teeth together, “So, he’s okay? You’re sure?”

Ulaz nods firmly, “Yes, he will make a full recovery and he isn’t in any pain. Unfortunately, I can’t bring him to you or you to him without raising suspicion so you’ll have to wait.”

Shiro lets out a shaky breath and forces himself to calm down, “Okay,” he mutters, closing his eyes momentarily, “Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me.”

“It is not a problem,” Ulaz replies, “Keith actually asked me to come here. He wanted to make sure you didn’t worry about him.”

Shiro can’t help smile at the fact that Keith thought about him even in the situation he’s in, “Well, thank you for honoring his wishes,” he says, observing the Galra man curiously since there’s obviously something different about him, “Who are you exactly?” he asks skeptically, “You’re not exactly a typical Galra soldier.”

Ulaz hums knowingly, “I’m not a typical Galra soldier but I’m not at liberty to disclose any more information to you just yet. You’ll be hearing from me again, Champion.” 

Before Shiro can ask him exactly what he means by that, Ulaz is out the door and Shiro is alone again. He furrows his brow and slowly lowers himself down on his cot, getting an odd, hopeful feeling he hasn’t experienced in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 6 on Tuesday (2/2)
> 
> UPDATE: I just figured out from a comment someone left that I accidentally switched chapters 4 and 5. They are now in the right order so if you already read the most recent update (which is now chapter 4) i would just go back and read chapters 4 and 5 over again. Sorry about that!


	6. Suicidal Escape Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro and Keith craft a plan and attempt a daring escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So we're approaching the end the first arc and the next one will begin in chapter 7. I feel like I did rush this arc a little bit but I included everything I wanted to so I guess it's okay. Enjoy!

Keith relishes his time recovering from his fractured pelvis, especially grateful that Ulaz has given him extra days to spend relaxing without the horror of servicing Zarkon or any of his soldiers. Somehow, he feels happy that he was injured; the pain is certainly worth nearly a week of what he considers to be relaxation. 

Ulaz makes sure to check up on Keith at least once a day, leading him to believe he has some sort of alternative motive since a nurse commented on how he never pays this much attention to his patients. Unlike the nurse, he doesn’t think the attention has anything to do with his status as a sex slave since Ulaz hasn’t talking about that at all, more interested in his past although he doesn’t get much information since Keith knows very little.

He gets five days, as promised, to recover and the when he’s discharged Ulaz makes sure to be there, telling him he’ll be hearing from him soon. Keith isn’t sure what to think of that but nods anyways, and thanks him for his kindness before he’s lead away by two soldiers. 

Keith asks one of them where he’s being taken and his heart practically flips in his chest when he complains about how Champion has been demanding to see him, apparently claiming it’s unjust he’s had to wait so long after his last arena victory.

Keith can barely contain his joy as he brought down to the maximum security prison cells, having missed Shiro more than he thought he would. He holds his breath when they reach the cell, the soldier pressing his hand against the scanner.

The door slides open with a beep and Keith steps inside quickly. Shiro is already up since he heard the footsteps and he gives a splitting grin when he sees Keith, immediately pulling him into a hug. Keith laughs happily and hugs him back, nuzzling his face against his shoulder and letting out a low, purring sound from his chest.

“It’s so good to see you,” Shiro mumbles, his face buried into Keith’s hair between his ears, “I missed you more than you’d believe.”

Keith sniffles and clings onto him, “I missed you too,” he whispers, clutching his shoulders. They hold each like that for a few minutes, reveling in each other’s touch and scent, before Shiro pulls back to get a look at Keith’s face.

“I was so worried about you,” he sighs, “I’m sorry about what happened. If I could get my hands on the guy that did that...”

Keith shakes his head but can’t help smile at how protective he’s being, “That sort of stuff happens every once in awhile and, before you start with the whole ‘but you shouldn’t be used to it’ thing, I know it wasn’t okay,” he replies, “But it was nice to have five quintants just to recover without needing to, you know.”

Shiro exhales slowly and shrugs, “I guess that’s true, there is a silver lining.”

Keith raises his brow, “Silver lining?” he asks curiously.

Shiro chuckles, yet again realizing Keith doesn’t understand expressions like that, “Oh it’s another human saying,” he replies, “It’s the little bit of good in a really negative situation.”

Keith nods slowly and smiles, “I like that. Silver lining,” he repeats the phrase, resting his head on his chest, “But sometimes there isn’t one,” he mutters, earning a nod from Shiro.

He looks up at the man with a determined looked, “I hate my life here. I want to get out of here, Shiro,” he says firmly, “Or die trying, because I can’t do this anymore. Not after meeting you.”

Shiro sets his jaw and meets his gaze, the same purposeful look in his eyes, “Okay. We’ll try to escape,” he replies, “I don’t care if we’re only free for a few days. It’ll be worth it.”

Keith smiles widely and nods, “It’ll be difficult to do it on our own but I think we can get help...You meet Ulaz, right? The doctor?”

Shiro sits down on his cot, gesturing for Keith to sit next to him, “Just one time but he said something that suggests he doesn’t support Zarkon,” he replies, “I think he’ll be able to help if we can contact him again.”

Keith takes a seat next to Shiro and leans against him, resting his head on his bicep, “There’s really no way for us to get in touch with him though. Hopefully he’ll reach out but there’s no telling when,” he mulls over the situation.

Shiro wraps his arm around Keith and hums softly, “The best way to go would be to craft a plan that we could do any day and then wait for him to contact us again. Once he does, we’ll tell him about it so he can help us out.”

Keith smiles faintly at that and nuzzles against him, “I agree,” he replies, actually feeling hopeful about all this. They spend the next hour or so going over their usual routines, which are pretty regular at this point, to figure out the best time for them to attempt escape. They’re able to combine their collective knowledge of the ship and its layout, Keith having an almost perfect mental map since he’s been living here his whole life. 

Keith starts to get tired after a while, his eyelids heavy, and they decide to stop for now, having a few different plans that still need a lot of work. Shiro lays the both of them down on the bed, on their sides so they’re facing each other. Keith curls up against his chest and tucks his head under his skin, breathing in his musky yet comforting scent.

Keith pulls back slightly and tilts his head up, pressing their lips together. Shiro smiles into the kiss and returns it immediately, moving his hand up to cup Keith’s face. He reaches up and threads his fingers through his fringe, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

Shiro pulls back after a while and smiles, panting softly, “I missed doing that,” he whispers. Keith blushes lightly and hides his face against his chest, feeling a bit embarrassed since he hasn’t yet gotten used to the whole concept of kissing.

Shiro chuckles and ruffles Keith’s hair gently, “Get some rest,” he mutters. Keith hums tiredly and closes his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

_____________________________________________________

The two of them go about their daily roles in the Empire as usual but they always have their plan in mind, doing a couple of timed runs to see if everything matches up properly. Both of them keep an eye out for Ulaz even though they probably won’t bump into him by accident since he works in a different area of the ship.

Shiro still has regular arena battles and gets to see Keith after each win; it’s gotten to the point where he actually looks forward to fighting since he knows he’ll see him. Keith treats his wounds tenderly and they spend most of their time discussing their escape plan and cuddling and kissing. Keith is still curious about Earth and Shiro’s life there, continuing to ask the man questions about his home. Shiro’s favorite moments by far are when he’s reminiscing about Earth while holding Keith in his arms, feeling his warmth against him, and lazily carding his fingers through his hair. 

Figuring out how much time is passing is easier for Keith than for Shiro so they count the days as they pass, having decided to wait up to a month for Ulaz to contact them before they execute their plan. Three weeks pass with nothing and the couple start to get frustrated, both of them on edge since Ulaz did say they’d hear from him again.

“Maybe we should just do it,” Keith mutters one day, curling up on Shiro’s lap, “I’m tired of waiting. What’s that expression again? To hell with it?”

Shiro chuckles and nods, “Yeah, that’s the one.”

Keith smirks, “Well, to hell with it then.”

Shiro smiles faintly and hums knowing, “I get what you’re feeling Keith but we need to wait,” he replies, seeing the pout on the other’s face, “There’s another expression I haven’t told you yet. Patience yields focus.”

Keith raises his brow and looks up at him, unsure about that one, “That’s just stupid,” he grumbles, “You can’t wait on and on for something.”

Shiro laughs softly at that and shoves Keith’s shoulder playfully, “Hey! I came up with that!” he exclaims, pretending to be offended,

Keith grins and snorts, “Really? Well then it’s twice as stupid,” he says, holding back his laughter. 

Shiro shakes his head and ruffles his hair, “I know you’re not the patient type but we made a deal. Thirty quintets and then we’d do it without his help.”

Keith pouts and crosses his arms, resting his head against Shiro’s chest in defeat, “Fine,” he huffs, “We only have five left so it doesn’t really make a difference.”

Shiro opens his mouth to reply but before he can the door to his cell slides open. The both of them scramble out of bed, “What the hell? It isn’t time yet,” Keith mutters angrily. His eyes adjust to the sudden light quicker than Shiro’s and he grins when he sees who it is, “Ulaz!” he whispers.

Shiro rubs his eyes and groans as he turns his head away, “It’s really him?” he asks quickly. 

Ulaz steps inside the room and lets the door close behind him, “Yes, it’s me,” he replies before Keith can, “It’s good to see you two again.”

Keith puts his hands on his hips, “What took you so long?” he asks although he can’t hold back his smile.

Ulaz raises his brow at his attitude, “I don’t exactly have a reason to be in contact with either of you so it took me awhile to find the time to come here. I need to keep up my appearances too you know. It’s not easy being a spy.”

Keith glances at Shiro, “I told you he’s a spy,” he whispers. 

Shiro chuckles at that and shakes his head, looking up at Ulaz, “I’m guessing you don’t have a lot of time so let’s get right to it,” he says, his tone serious, “We have crafted a plan to escape but we need your help.”

Ulaz nods curtly and gives him a determined look, “Tell me your plan and I will provide whatever assistance I can,” he says firmly.

_____________________________________________________

Keith collapses onto the bed and pants heavily, groaning as the man above him pulls out. He sighs in relief, knowing that this might be the last time he’ll be forced to sleep with someone, and watches the man dress himself.

He sits up and wipes the sweat from his forehead, “Do you know by any chance if the Champion’s arena battle has started yet?” he asks as casually as he can.

The man shrugs and puts his helmet back on, making sure it’s straight, “I think so,” he replies, “I’m planning on watching the battle now since Zarkon invited me to his booth,” he adds, glancing at Keith, “Well, I’ll see you next time,” he says before leaving the room, the door locking from the outside..

Keith nods silently and stares at the door as it closes, a grin spreading over his face, “Yeah, see you next time,” he whispers cynically. He quickly cleans himself up as best as he can before putting on his old ripped robe as planned.

Then Keith waits, sitting on the edge of the bed with his knees tucked against his chest. His heart beats abnormally fast and he does the deep breathing exercise Shiro had him do to calm down after one of his many nightmares. Keith isn’t sure how long he sits there, time passes slowly when you’re waiting for something, but eventually he hears the scanner outside running. 

Keith smiles when the door opens to reveal Ulaz on the other side and he quickly scrambles up, “Shiro’s fight is about the end. We must move quickly,” he says urgently. He leaves the door and walks alongside Ulaz, staying slightly behind him and keeping his head down as is customary. 

Ulaz stops in a secluded hallway and turns toward Keith, “You know what to do from here. The alert and defense systems will be disabled for another six doboshes. Meet me at the pods in at least five.” 

Keith nods curtly and, without saying anything back, rushes down the corridor, having memorized the path he needs to take. He arrives at the exit ramp of the arena just in time and sees a bloody Shiro being guided down by two armed guards. 

Keith puts on his disheveled, damsel in distress facade, his tattered robe adding to the effect, and stumbles over to them, “H-help!” he calls out, immediately getting the guards’ attention, “He ran off after taking me,” he exclaims, pointing back toward the direction he came from, “The Emperor never gave him permission and, oh god, he’ll be so angry with me,” he chokes out, managing to muster a few tears.

The low level guards, who quickly recognize Keith as Zarkon’s favorite, look at him in shock, completely overwhelmed by how exposed he is, practically nude with only a flimsy robe. Keith drapes himself over one of the guards and clings onto him, “If you help catch him, I’m sure Zarkon will make it worth your while,” he purrs, his tone of voice changing to one of utter lust. 

Shiro watches Keith carefully, impressed with his acting but, then again, acting is a large part of what he’s forced to do here, and looks for his window of opportunity. Once he sees both guards are completely drawn in by Keith, he headbutts the guard closest to him. Before the other can react, Keith grabs his blaster from his loose grip and quickly shoots the both of them.

The Galra soldiers collapse onto the ground and Shiro holds out his hands, pulling them as far apart as they’ll go with his restrains. Keith moves forward silently and presses the end of the blaster against Shiro’s cuffs, making sure it’s pointing down at the ground before he shoots. 

Once Shiro’s free, he picks up the other soldiers blaster before he grabs Keith’s hand and immediately starts running down the hallway. Keith leads the way, “We have four dobosh,” he pants out. Shiro nods and runs faster, lifting up the blaster and shooting any sentries ahead of them. 

They reach the pods in about five minutes and Keith grins when he sees Ulaz is already waiting for them. The couple stop in front of him, panting heavily, and watch as Ulaz quickly gets out a tiny chip from under his fingernail, “These are the coordinates I told you about,” he says, handing it to Shiro, “They will be hesitant and maybe even hostile when you arrive. You must explain to them what happened and show them the chip,” he explains, turning toward Keith, “I’m sure they will know who you are so make sure to tell them.”

Keith furrows his brow and frowns slightly, “What do you mean by that?” he asks, his heart raced from the rush of attempting escape, “Why would they know me?”

The alarms start to blare, alerting everyone of the security breach, “There’s no time to explain,” Ulaz replies, scanning his hand and watching the entrance to the pod open. He ushers the two of them inside and once the opening slides shut, he pushes the eject button. Ulaz is confident they’ll get away once the pod shots off, having dismantled the tracking system.

Keith watches through the small window as they get farther and farther away from the ship, realizing he’d never actually seen Zarkon’s headquarters from the outside. He’s overwhelmed by the prospect of freedom and sits there, frozen with anxiety and euphoria and fear all at the same time. 

Shiro, on the other hand, gets right to work and follows Ulaz’s instructions. He loads in the chip and the pod reads the coordinates, “Setting course for coordinates,” the robotic voice of the operating system announces, “Arrival in approximately ten vargas.”

Shiro sighs softly and sits back in the chair, turning to look back at Keith, “Well we’re on your way but it’ll take-” he cuts himself off when he notices is something wrong with the other. Shiro gets up and settles down next to him, Keith staring out the window with his arms wrapped around himself, “Is everything okay?” he asks gently, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Keith jolts slightly at the touch and looks at Shiro, “What?” he asks quietly, not seeming to have heard what he said.

Shiro gives him a worried look, “Are you okay?” 

Keith nods slowly and glances out into space, barely able to see Zarkon’s ship anymore, “Yes,” he replies quietly, “It’s just...it’s so hard to believe,” he adds, looking up at Shiro, “We’re really free?”

Shiro smiles at that and nods, taking his purple hand and lacing their fingers together, “Yes, we’re free.” Tears well up in Keith’s eyes and he wipes his face quickly, returning the squeeze.

“You’ll stay with me, right?” Keith asks after a while, “Once we get there. You won’t go off to Earth just yet, right?”

Shiro nods a bit and wraps his arm around Keith, pulling him close to reassure him, “Of course. We’ll stay with Ulaz’s group for a while. See what they’re up to and what it’s like. And then we’ll decide what to do from there. But whatever we end up doing, we’ll stay together.”

Keith sighs in relief and leans against Shiro, “Good. I didn’t want to have to punch some sense into you,” he says dryly with a smile. Shiro glances at him and laughs softly, shaking his head with amused exasperation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 7 on Tuesday (2/6)


	7. Meeting the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pair arrive at the Blades of Marmora base and Keith learns more about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Early Update! I decided to post this chapter one day early to treat one my close friends (you know who you are buddy) since I suspect they're having a not too good day. This chapter marks the beginning of a new arc and I'm really excited to see what you guys think. OH and I'm turning 19 in two days so I'm super excited for that, although I really don't feel like an adult™ at all! I hope you enjoy it!

At some point, Keith and Shiro fall asleep holding each other, both of them snoring lightly; they hadn’t slept without subconsciously worrying what the next day would bring them in a long time. They sleep incredibly deeply until the pod starts beeping. Shiro grumbles as he opens his eyes, sitting up along with Keith, “Arriving at destination,” the robotic voice announces

They both move to the front of the pod and gasp at the sight, “What is that?” Keith whispers, never having seen anything like this before. He stares at the two swirling spirals of what he can only describe as space dust with seemingly endless black pits at their center, both pulling at bright blue ball of energy between them.

Shiro furrows his brow and looks at the screen as it analyses what’s in front of them, “It’s two black holes and a giant blue star,” he replies, narrowing his eyes as he looks inside the star.

Keith isn’t too sure what any of that means and frowns slightly, “What-Why would Ulaz send us here? I mean, there’s no base or anything.”

Shiro shakes his head and presses on the spot of the screen where the coordinates are located, the pod magnifying the image to show the celestial objects, “I think...I think it’s inside the star,” he replies, “Do you see those rock like objects?” 

Keith moves a bit closer and nods, “Oh yeah, how are we gonna get in there?” he asks just as the pod receives a message, “Identity yourself,” the voice orders, large purple Galran text popping up to fill the screen.

Shiro smiles faintly, “Well at least we know there’s something there,” he says, opening up a hailed frequency. He clears his throat before he starts, “This is Shiro, otherwise known as Champion. I’m an escaped Galra prisoner and with me is Keith, a half Galra, half human former slave. Ulaz, a member of your group, helped us escape and gave us coordinates that brought us here.”

Keith nods approvingly and they sit back and wait for a moment before another message is sent with a beep, “You may enter. Come unarmed,” the voice says accompanying the text. 

Shiro smiles, “Well they don’t need to worry about weapons anyways,” he says as another message is sent, “Oh um, this is a route to the base,” he mutters as he examines the image, “We just need to follow this course,” he traces his finger over the path to the opening, “It’ll be open for a bit longer but then it’ll close.”

Keith nods curtly and hums, “We should go in now then,” he replies. Shiro smiles and directs the pod to follow the course, sitting back in the chair. Keith sits down on Shiro’s lap without a second thought since there isn’t enough space on the chair and they watch as the pod follows the path to the opening. 

Keith looks with wonder at the beautiful colors surrounding them, watching the large bites of debris floating around them and getting sucked into the black hole closest to them. The pods thrusters go to full power to resists the pull of the black hole and soon enough they’re through the opening and safe in the strange blue bubble of energy. The pod approaches the odd shaped asteroid-looking object and lands on one of the ridges. 

Once they’ve landed, the door slides open and they walk out cautiously, unsure what to expect. Keith looks around curiously and stays close to Shiro, “Are you sure this is right? There doesn’t seem to be anything here,” he mumbles. 

Shiro furrows his brow, “I’m pretty sure. I mean, we did get that message so there’s gotta be something here.” He stops moving when the ground opens up in front of them, holding his breath when two, tall figures emerge. Their uniforms are very particular with armored black body suits and glowing purple designs on their chests and masks. 

The two pairs stand there for a while, a couple dozen or so feet away from each other, and read the situation. Keith takes a deep breath and walks over to them slowly, Shiro following him, “Are you the group Ulaz is a part of?” he asks, trying to make his voice come off as confident as possible.

The large figure presses his fingers against the side of his mask, causing it to flicker and disappear. His face is broad and his brow protrudes slightly, it’s rather obvious that he’s Galra from his complexion, “Yes, we are the Blades of Marmora,” he replies, “Ulaz is a member and currently working as a spy.”

Keith glances at the man’s tail, watching it move slightly and drag along the floor, “The Blades of Marmora?” he asks curiously.

“We are a secretive resistance group that fight against the Galra Empire,” he explains, “I am Antok and this,” gesturing towards the smaller figure next to him, “is Regris,” he says, the other just nodding and staying silent. 

Keith smiles slightly and nods a bit, “U-um okay, well it’s nice to meet you. You probably know this but I’m Keith and this is Shiro.”

Antok hums softly, “Yes, I’m aware. Come with us. Our leader wants to meet you.” They gesture for Keith and Shiro to come closer and once they step onto the platform, it lowers. Keith looks around at the walls surrounding them, the style and color of the design reminding him of Zarkon’s ship though it is slightly different.

Eventually, the platform comes to a stop and they turn to face a large door as it opens. Two lines of Blade members wearing the same uniforms as Antok and Regris stand parallel to each other, leading up to a large figure who Keith guesses is the leader they were talking about. 

Both Keith and Shiro feel rather intimidated as they walk between the two lines, making their way to the leader with Antok and Regris following them. Keith feels uncomfortable since he’s still wearing the ripped robe, holding the fabric tight around his body. They stop once they reach the podium, more Blades lined up and standing on each step leading up to the leader.

The figure presses the side of his mask and pulls down his hood, his hair red along the top of his ears and some parts of the top of his head, “Can you get him something to cover up with?” he asks one of the Blades standing near him before he addresses the newcomers.

“I am Kolivan, leader of the Blades of Marmora,” he announces, “You claimed you were both prisoners of Zarkon?” he asks, obviously suspicious of their identity. 

Shiro furrows his brow and nods slowly, “Yes, we were prisoners. I’m from Earth and I was on a mission to explore areas of space we hadn’t reached yet when I was taken by the Galra Empire. I became a gladiator and fought for their entertainment. I was known as Champion. Have you heard of that?” he asks, hoping for some evidence to prove who they are.

Kolivan nods slowly, “I may have heard about the Champion from some spies. And you do certainly match the description. And even if you are him, you could still be working for Zarkon. What about your arm? That is obviously Galra technology.”

Shiro clenches his fists and looks down at his arm, “I didn’t want this thing,” he growls, “They...They did experiments on me and when I lost the arm during battle they gave me this new one. If you need more proof, you just need to look at all my other scars.”

The Blade Kolivan sent away comes back and hands Keith a blanket. He takes it and thanks him gently, wrapping it around himself to cover himself and relaxes slightly. 

Kolivan purses his lips and frowns deeper, “That is not necessary at the moment Shiro,” he replies, “So, can you authenticate your story? Do you have any way to prove Ulaz helped you?”

Shiro nods at that and shows him to the small chip, “He gave this to us. It has the coordinates to this place,” he explains, handing it to the Galra leader.

Kolivan takes it carefully and inspects it, “It seems to be authentic,” he says after a moment, “I will have one of our technology experts look at it closer.”

He turns to look at Keith, “And what about him? You said his name was Keith?” he asks, obviously holding back something.

Shiro is about the explain Keith’s story but the other waves his hand dismissively, wanting to show he isn’t afraid, “Yes, I’m Keith. I was...one of Zarkon’s sex slaves. I’m half human so I’m inferior to purebreed Galrans.”

Kolivan stares down at him intently and clasps his hands behind his back, “And what do you know of your heritage?”

Keith is unsure why he wants to know but replies anyways, not seeing the harm, “I don’t know much but my father was a human and my mother was Galra. She on a mission but crashed on Earth and that’s where they meet,” he explains, “She left and found out she was pregnant with me. When people discovered that, they took me away. I...I don’t know what happened to her.”

Quiet murmurs erupt among the Blades standing behind them and Keith turns around, wondering what he said wrong. Kolivan quickly raises his hand and they fall silent again but the tension is still there, “That is not the full story, Keith,” he says.

Keith frowns deeply and sighs shakily, “W-what do you mean?” he asks, “Did you know my mother? Tell me what you know,” he demands frantically. 

“I did know your mother. Many of us did. Her name was Akira,” he replies, “She was on a mission but not for the Galra Empire. She was searching the area around Earth for, well what it was doesn't matter right now, as directed by me. She was a members of the Blades,” he explains, much to the surprise of Keith and Shiro.

“The rest of the story is true, she probably did crash and meet your father. But as she was coming back to one of our bases she was captured by the Galra Empire. She was tortured for information and, from what we know, did not give up anything vital. Akira gave birth to you in prison and was killed some unknown time later,” he continues, “We tried to send in a spy to bring her back but a rescue mission was too risky and could have compromised our organization. We knew of her child though but lost track shortly after the birth.”

Tears well up in Keith’s eyes and he quickly wipes them away, “Did you even look for me?” he chokes out, “You knew I was there. You knew what I was going through! Did you even try?!” Shiro places a hand on Keith’s shoulder to try and calm him down; after all, they’re just meet these people and could still be turned away.

Kolivan frowns deeply and looks away for a moment, “As I said before, we lost track of you and couldn’t afford to send in more Blades. We hoped you weren’t suffering too bad of a fate and that you would return someday,” he says as he comes down the steps and approaches Keith, “Because you’re mother was a Blade, you are part of our group and are welcome to become a full fledged Blade.”

Keith’s eyes widen and he grips the blanket wrapped around him tightly, “I...I need to think about it,” he replies; even though the idea of reconnecting with the closest thing he has to family and having something similar to a home sounds amazing, he still needs to think it over and talk to Shiro about it.

“Of course. I understand. It’s a big decision so take your time. If you refuse our offer, you can stay here until both of you have recovered and we’ll provide you with the resources to where you need to go. Our group does not allow non-Blades to stay here permanently. It is a drain on resources and during a war we need everyone to contribute,” Kolivan explains, “We’ll provide you with rooms and show you where all our facilities are. I’ll let you rest for the night but tomorrow I need you to provide me with a full, detailed account of what happened.”

He turns toward Regris, “You can bring them to the free rooms,” he orders, getting a nod in return, “Dismissed.” 

The rest of the Blades disperse and Regris gestures them to follow him. He leads Shiro and Keith down a hallway, “The canteen is over there,” he says, pointing toward a large hall with tables as they pass it on their right, “It’s always open but you must serve yourself.”

They walk for a while longer and Regris points out the bathroom and washroom area before bringing them to their rooms. He has both of them scan their hands for their respective rooms so they can open them before he leaves. 

Keith watches as Regris turns the corner and sighs softly, standing in front of his room, “Do we have to stay in separate rooms?” 

Shiro smiles faintly and rubs his back of his neck, “I don’t know. I think they expect us to so I think it’s best,” he replies, immediately noticing Keith’s pout, “But I’m right here if you need me.”

Keith sighs deeply and nods a bit, “I guess...Can I scan my hand for your room? Just in case?”

Shiro chuckles softly, “Of course. I’ll do yours too.” It takes some time for them to figure the scanning pads out but soon enough they both have access to each other’s rooms. Shiro looks down at Keith and smiles, “Well I guess this is goodnight then. I feel I should ask you what you’re thinking about everything that’s happening though.”

Keith shrugs a bit and looks down, “I don’t know how to feel about all this. It’s just so much.”

Shiro steps close and puts his hand on his shoulder, “I know but we’ll get through this. I’m pretty sure they believe us and plus, you have a sort of family here.”

Keith smiles at that and relaxes at the touch, “That’s true. I want to join them but what’ll happen to you? Will you be able to stay?” he pauses, “Do you want to stay?”

Shiro squeezes his shoulder, “Like I said before, I’ll always stay with you. If they let me that is.”

Keith presses his lips together and looks down, “Well if you get to stay, then I’ll join them,” he decides, “And if you can’t, then we’ll together and go to Earth. Deal?”

Shiro nods curtly and smiles, “Deal,” he says before pulling him into a hug. Keith returns the hug and grips Shiro’s shirt from behind, enjoying his familiar scent. Eventually they pull back and says goodnight, heading into their respective rooms. 

Keith steps into his room and looks around the plain looking space; all there is is a neatly made bed that doesn’t look like it’s even been slept in, a set of folded sleeping clothes laid out on it, and parts of the wall that have drawers and other storage areas. 

With a quiet sigh, Keith walks over to the bed and grabs the clothes, seeing they’re just a plain grey color and made out of a silky sort of material he recognizes. Keith changes into the clothes and drops the robe down the disposal chute, smiling widely when he realizes he’ll never have to wear anything like that again. 

He sets the blanket aside and crawls into bed, pulling the covers over himself and laying down. The lights turn off automatically when they detect minimal movement in the room and he closes his eyes, curling up on his side as he usually does. 

Keith has a lot on his mind and has some difficulty falling asleep but once he manages to calm his thoughts down he promptly falls asleep, despite the sleep he got on the way here his body and mind are still exhausted.

_____________________________________________________

Shiro immediately leaps out of bed when he’s woken by shrill screaming, quickly recognizing the voice as Keith’s. He scans his hand on the pad to the other’s room and curses at how long it’s taking for the door to slide open.

The lights turn on when Shiro rushes inside, giving him a full view of Keith. His whole body is spasming on the bed to the point where it looks like he’s having a seizure and his limbs are lashing out and kicking at some invisible threat. 

Shiro moves to the side of the bed and grabs Keith’s shoulders, shaking them, “Wake up Keith!” he exclaims, “It isn’t real!” He tries his best to avoid his flailed arms, but they still hit him, his sharp nails catching on his skin occasionally and leaving swallow cuts.. Shiro grabs his wrists when Keith starts scratching at whatever skin he can reach but it only makes him more agitated, fat tears streaming down his face.

“Stop!” he screeches, the sound almost inhumane, “It hurts!” Shiro’s heart aches and he lets go of Keith’s arms, figuring it’s doing more harm than good. Instead he pulls him into his arms, holding him tightly against his chest so he can’t really lash out.

Keith’s eyes snap open suddenly and he becomes limp in Shiro’s arms. All he can see is some of Shiro’s hair and the wall adjacent to his bed; he’s confused for a moment before he realizes where he is. Keith sobs in relief and buries his face into Shiro’s shoulder, his fingernails digging into his back as he clings onto him.

Shiro ignores the slight pain and gently rocks their bodies from side to side, “Shh it’s okay,” he whispers as he rubs soothing circles into his back, “You’re safe here. We’re not there anymore. They can’t hurt you.”

Keith replies with only frantic nods and a weak whimper, not trusting himself to speak just yet. He quickly starts to hyperventilate, his breath coming out in fast pants and his chest expands and contracts rapidly. 

Shiro notices immediately and slows his breathing down, “Darling, copy my breathing okay?” he whispers, exaggerating his slow inhaling and exhaling. Keith struggles to copy him and gasps when the door slides open behind him, quickly snapping his head back.

A Blade, who Shiro guesses is Regris based off of the look of his tail, stands in the doorway, “I heard screaming. Is somebody hurt?”

Shiro smiles reassuringly and shakes his head, “Keith just had a nightmare,” he explains, “I can take care of this,” he adds, knowing Keith isn’t taking too well to being so vulnerable, especially in front of a stranger and a Galra no less.

Regris gets the message and nods curtly, heading back down the hallway to leave the two of them alone. Shiro continues rubbing Keith’s back, “You can do it darling. Breath in and out with me.”

Keith nods, the movement almost erratic, and tries his best to copy Shiro’s breathing. He pulls back slightly so he can look at the other’s face, close enough to feel his warm breath on his lips with each exhale. It takes Keith a good ten minutes to finally get his breathing down to a normal rate, his body slowly relaxing.

Once he’s calmed down, Keith sighs shakily and lets his head fall down to rest against Shiro’s chest, “I thought all that would be over,” he mumbles rather angrily, his voice still hoarse. 

Shiro threads his fingers through Keith’s hair and sighs, “It’s not that simple. What happened to you doesn’t just go away, especially since you’ve been dealing with it pretty much your whole life.”

Keith scowls and clenches his fists, “How long will it take?”

“Probably a long time,” he replies honestly, “And it’ll take work to recover.” Shiro can see Keith’s expression fall and cups his face, tilting his head so he’s looking up at him, “But you’re not doing it alone okay? I’ll always be here for you and the Blades can become a support network.”

Keith seems to relax and smiles weakly, “I guess that’s true,” he mutters as he nuzzles against his chest again, “Thank you.” 

Shiro sighs contently and holds Keith tighter, slowly laying the both of them down on the bed; eventually they both manage to fall back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 8 on Friday (2/9)


	8. Chance at a New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith struggles to decide whether he should become a Blade or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This chapter is pretty straight forward and I don't have a lot to say about it so yeah. I decided to treat you guys but making this an extra long chapter so have fun!

The next morning is awkward for the both of them. After they get changed in simple clothes left for them, they find the canteen Regris pointed out to them. About half a dozen Blades, some with their masks on and others not, look up at them the moment they walk inside.

Keith swallows thickly, uncomfortable with being the center of attention, and resists the urge to grab Shiro’s hand for comfort. After a couple of seconds, the Blades return to their silent eating or light conversation. Shiro lets out a quiet sigh and heads over to the area where he sees the Blades are getting their food from.

It takes them a while to figure out how to dispense the food goo from the complex machine, which comes in different colors Keith guesses corresponds to their flavor. They sit at the edge of one of the tables once they’ve gotten their breakfast, a group of Blades talking to each other on the other end.

Shiro notices some of them looking and smiles politely, giving a small wave but the Galra give him a confused look at the gesture, just nodding back in greeting. Shiro hums softly and tries the food, finding it tastes a bit odd but it’s far better what he got as a prisoner.

Looking at Keith, Shire chuckles as he watches him scarf down the food happily, “You like it?” he asks, quite amused. 

Keith smiles up at him and nods, his cheeks almost bulging with food, “Hm-mh,” he hums back, swallowing down the goo, “Yeah, it’s very similar to what I would have when I was good as a reward,” he replies, getting quiet halfway through the sentence. 

Shiro presses his lips together and stops eating for a moment, “There’s no need to feel embarrassed Keith,” he says gently, “Just know you can have this food whenever you want now. No matter what you do.”

Keith nods silently and continues eating, going a bit slower. Shiro sighs and does the same, listening in a conversation the Blades near them are having about their most recent missions.

Kolivan enters the room and everyone gives him a respectful nod. He spots Shiro and Keith and makes his way over to them, “I hope you two are adjusting well.”

Shiro smiles politely and nods, “Thank you. And we’re getting used to it,” he replies, “It’s certainly better than where we were before.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Kolivan says, “Well once you’re done eating please join me in the main hall, the area where you first entered. I need you to give me every detail of your escape for the record.”

Shiro nods in understanding, “Of course. We’ll be there.” Kolivan leaves them to finish their meal and gets some food for himself.

They gather in the main hall soon after along with Kolivan’s most trusted Blade members, including Antok and Regris. Shiro and Keith go through their escape step by step, starting with when Keith first meet Ulaz. They have a few disagreements about the timeline and specific details as is expected but talk it out to figure out exactly what happened.

Kolivan repeatedly asks questions, having the two be as precise as possible to fully understand and to confirm the legitimacy of the events. Keith is relieved that he doesn’t ask about his role in the Empire, not even needing to explain how he fractured his hip; he does notice a faint look of pity from Kolivan. 

It feels like the whole explanation of the escape takes hours and they’re both relieved when Kolivan decides that’s enough, believing their story. Before he dismisses them he adds a few things, “I’ve discussed with the other Blades and we’ve decided you two can stay at our base for seven quintants until you need to make your decision, Keith.”

Keith takes a deep breath and nods, “And what’ll happen to Shiro if I decide to start my Marmora training?”

Kolivan sighs softly, “He can’t become a Blade if that’s what you’re asking. But, I’m assuming you want him to stay so if Shiro undergoes our training and participates in our missions as well then he can stay,” he decides.

Keith smiles in relief and looks up at Shiro, his smile only widening when the other nods, “If Keith decides to join your group, I will happily comply with your decision.”

Kolivan nods curtly, clasping his hands behind his back, “Come find me when you’ve made your choice. Until then, you have free roam of most of the base. If you need assistance, all Blade members have been told to help you.”

Once they wrap up the conversation, Shiro and Keith head back to their rooms. For a while, they’re unsure what to do and finally decide to just wander around the base. They find many of the rooms are just storage space for supplies like food and weapon but eventually stumble upon the training room, which is much more interesting.

Keith enters the large room and watches a few Blades training, some of the just sparring with each other and the others fighting with simulations. He stands there for a moment, mesmerized by the lightening fast and agile movements of the Galrans, barely able to see their blades as they cut through the air. Keith snaps out of it when he hears Shiro speak up beside him, “Do you think it’ll be okay if we just watch?” he asks hesitantly, still feeling like he’s imposing. 

Keith shrugs and walks further inside, “Kolvian said we had free roam so I’m sure it’s fine. As long as we don’t interfere,” he replies, looking around the room. He finds a spot against the one of the walls that’s out of the way and sits down.

Shiro joins him and raises his brow as he watches a Blade take down fighting simulation robot in under half a minute, “They’re pretty amazing,” he comments. 

Keith nods in agreement, his mouth open in awe, “Yeah,” he whispers, “I wish I could fight like them. I’m sick of being so weak.”

Shiro furrows his brow and decides not to address the ‘weak’ part, “I can understand that. If you join them, you can learn though.”

Keith sighs softly and shrugs, “Maybe. I don’t see how though,” he mumbles, feelings of worthlessness that have been drilled into him for years are still very much there.

Shiro turns his body to face him, “Well your mom was one of them right?” he asks, smiling when he gets a nod from Keith, “Then it’s in your blood.”

Keith thinks about it for a moment and beams up at him brightly, “Yeah, I guess you’re right Shiro,” he says hopefully, looking back at the Blades, “Maybe I can be like them.”

_____________________________________________________

Although Keith is sure he wants to become part of the Blades of Marmora, he still takes his time to observe the secretive organization since he’s still hesitant about groups of Galra men. Even though everyone in the Blades are Galra, he’s happy to find out some of them are only half, like him.

The customs and behaviors of the Blades remind Keith a lot of the Galra Empire, which he has a hard time with, but soon enough he realizes that the strict hierarchical structure of the Empire isn’t present here. Kolivan is the leader but he doesn’t seem to make decisions on his own; he has open discussions with all the Blade members, giving each of them a voice.

Seeing this sort of collaboration is refreshing to Keith, not once has he witnessed the sort of cruel and ruthless discipline that was a daily occurrence in the Galra Empire. He still experiences a lot of anxiety, especially when he’s around the Blades without Shiro, but thankfully that doesn’t happen very often. 

Keith waits the whole week before he makes his decision and wakes up early on the seventh day, unable to sleep. He sits up in bed and glances at Shiro, who’s lying next to him and still sleeping. Keith smiles at how peaceful he looks, his lips parted slightly, and watches his chest rise and fall.

He slowly slips out of bed but just the shift in weight is enough to wake Shiro, who groans softly and rubs his eyes, “What...Keith?” he mumbles, his messy hair making him look even more attractive than he already is.

Keith smiles down at him and keeps him laying down when he tries to sit up, “Go back to sleep,” he says quietly, “I’m going to tell Kolivan I want to be a Blade.”

Even in Shiro’s half asleep state he understands the importance of this moment and grins proudly, “That’s great Keith,” he replies, his voice raspy with sleep, “Good luck.” Keith flushes at the praise and leaves once Shiro relaxes against the mattress and promptly falls back asleep.

It takes Keith a while to find Kolivan, having to ask around, but he’s sure he’s awake since the Blades are always up and busy early. He’s told the leader is in the control room and makes his way there, by now he’s pretty familiar with the base.

Standing in the doorway, Keith sees Kolivan talking with two other Blades, using an impressive hologram map of known Galra outposts to plan their next mission. Keith waits patiently until they’re done talking and Kolvian dismisses the two Blades, turning to see Keith, “Come in, I’m assuming you’ve made your decision?”

Keith enters the room and approaches Kolvian, “Yes,” he replies with a nod, “I’ve decided I want to become a Blade, like my mother.”

A faint smile spread over Kolivan’s lips at that, “I’m glad. Now, come with me. I need to show you something,” he says, already leading Keith out of the room. They walk down the hallway, turning a few corners before they reach a large door Keith has never seen before, this must be an area he’s not allowed access to yet.

Kolivan scans his hand and the door slides open, revealing a huge room with walls lined with rows and rows displaying what seems like hundreds of thousands of similar objects, the ceilings reaching impossible heights. Keith can’t see what they are until he gets closer, recognizing them as knives, “What is this place?” he asks quietly, mesmerized by the sheer amount of knives displayed.

“Every members of the Blades of Marmora has their own blade, one that is unique to them,” Kolivan explains, “They are made out of luxite, a rare mineral, and can only be awakened by someone that has Galra blood and who has passed the Trials of Marmora.”

Keith raises his brow and slowly approaches one of the walls, wanting to get a closer look at the beautifully crafted blades, “The Trials of Marmora?”

Kolivan nods and hums softly, “Yes, it is a rite of passage and once a person passes they become a Blade. It will be the final stage of your training,” he replies, “This is a memorial to all the past Blades who came before us. The oldest being all the way at the top,” he says as he gestures upward.

Keith looks up and exhales slowly, “Is my mom’s blade here too?” he asks after a moment. 

“Yes, we were able to recover it and that is why I brought you here,” Kolivan says as he leads him to a small platform, “Blades can be passed through generations, from parent to child, so I thought it would be appropriate that you would receive your mother’s.”

Kolivan steps onto the platform and gestures for Keith to join him. Barriers rise up around the platform along with a keypad. Kolivan enters the name ‘Akira’ followed by a short series of numbers and the platform rises up. Keith tenses as they are lifted up a few rows and then move horizontally, stopping in front of a specific blade.

“Is that...?” Keith whispers as he gazes at the blade with wide eyes, the knife simple yet elegant.

Kolivan nods and carefully takes the blade off of its mount, “Yes, this is your mother's and her father’s before her. It has passed through many hands” he replies, turning toward Keith and holding it out to him, “And hopefully you will have the honor of wielding it next. Even though you’re not one of us yet, you will train with this blade and, when you are ready, you will pass the Trials and awaken the blade.”

Keith takes a deep breath before reaches out for the blade, his hands trembling slightly, and takes it from Kolivan. He holds it tightly and traces his finger along the razor-edged blade, “I’ll try to honor her,” he whispers in a determined tone.

_____________________________________________________

“Meet me in the medical bay, five doboshes,” Kolivan says as he passes by Keith in the canteen, out the door and in the hallway before the other can answer.

Keith lowers his spoonful of food goo and gives Shiro a confused look, “What do you think that’s about?”

Shiro shrugs and continues eating, “I’m not sure. Maybe he wants to start your training today?” he suggests.

Humming softly, Keith puts the spoon in his mouth, chewing slowly, “Maybe. He did say medical bay though.”

Shiro finishes his food and presses his lips together, “Guess you’ll have to wait and see then. Did Kolivan say anything about when my training would start?”

Keith stands up and gathers his dishes, “He didn’t mention it. Well I should go,” he says, “I’ll see you later.” The two say goodbye and Keith puts his plate away before heading to the medical bay. 

Kolivan is already waiting for him and leads him to a large transparent cylinder. With the push of a key on the control panel, the opening to the tube-like vessel opens, “Step inside.”

Keith eyes the device suspiciously, “What’s it for?” he asks as he approaches it. 

“Before you start your training, you need to meet our fitness standards,” Kolivan explains, “This will scan your body and tell us how much strength training you need, what diet you should be put on, etcetera.”

Keith nods in understanding and steps into the cylinder, turning to face the other just as the doors slide shut. He jolts slightly when he hears a faint whirring sound that gets louder with each second.

“Don’t worry. It’s just warming up,” Kolivan says, his voice muffled slightly through the tube, since he’s able to tell Keith’s nervous.

Keith tries his best to calm himself down and looks down to see a ring surrounding the cynical moving up, buzzing as it scans him. He stays still while the ring moves up and down a few times, completing the scan in less than a minute. 

The vessel beeps once it’s done and displays the results onto the screen under the control panel. Keith steps out as soon as the doors open and stands next to Kolivan as he reviews the results, “So...what does it say?” he asks, shifting his weight onto the balls of his feet before rocking back onto his heels.

Kolivan scrolls through the results of the scan and lets out a hum, “Well I’m sure you know this, but you’re relatively healthy and not very fit. Your muscles mass is low which is our main concern,” he muses, “You’ll also have to gain a lot of weight so we’re putting you on a specific diet.”

Keith purses his lips and nods slowly, looking down, “Yeah, they kept me underfed so I’d stay thin and be unable to fight back,” he mutters.

Kolivan exhales slowly and glances at Keith, unsure how to respond to the statement, “I am sorry for what you went through there,” he says after a moment of silence, “But now you have a chance at a new life.”

Keith smiles weakly, realizing they’re having a moment together, and nods, “That’s exactly what I want. So, when does my training, or well I guess my pre-training, start?”

“Tomorrow, right after breakfast,” Kolivan replies, “Meet me in the training room. And bring Shiro too.”

Both Shiro and Keith are eager to start their training and wake up early in the morning. Instead of the plain clothing usually left for them, they find bodysuits exactly like those worn by every Blade. 

Keith unfolds his and is glad to see it’s customized for his smaller body. They face their backs to each other as they change, Keith still hesitant about being exposed in front of anyone.

Keith turns around once he’s done and looks down at the suit, the armored yet breathable material hugging his form perfectly. He traces the glowing lines on his suit with a quiet hum and looks up at Shiro, seeing he’s staring.

“W-what is it?” he asks nervously, worried that sometimes wrong with his suit. His eyes widen as he takes Shiro in, the suit showing off every muscle in his body; with each slight movement, Keith can see Shiro’s muscles flexing under the fabric. He just barely notices that Shiro’s suit is made so there’s no material over his Galra tech prosthetic. 

Shiro’s face flushes a deep red and he looks away, rubbing the back of his neck, “Uh nothing,” he replies awkwardly, “It’s just, you look good in that.”

Keith swallows thickly and blushes as well, his ears twitching slightly, “Oh thanks,” he says, having a hard time moving his eyes up from Shiro’s chest and broad shoulders to his eyes, “Y-you look good too.”

Shiro laughs nervously, unsure what he’s supposed to do with his developing feelings for Keith considering his past, and just decides to change the subject, suggesting they go to breakfast. 

They having a quick breakfast with less conversation than usual before heading to the training room where Kolivan is waiting for them, a few Blades are already training on their own but there’s more than enough space for all of them. 

“Shiro, I’m aware that you have previous fighting experience and from what I’ve heard you’re skilled so you’ll be working your way through the fighting simulations,” Kolivan explains before turning toward Keith, “As I said yesterday, you will be focusing on building muscle and meeting our fitness standards. Until then you will not be fighting.”

Keith frowns at that, “What? No fighting?” he protests, “But that’s why I’m here in the first place! I-”

“Enough,” Kolivan cuts him off with a stern tone, his lips pulling down in a deep frown, “We have these rules in place for a reason and if you are to be a Blade, you need to learn to follow them. You will learn to fight when your body and mind are ready.”

Keith sighs shakily and nods slowly, “Fine,” he mutters. Kolivan keeps giving him the same glare and Keith hesitates for a moment, “Yes, sir.”

Kolivan seems pleased with that and continues, “Let’s begin.” He first sets up Shiro with the robot fighting simulation, deciding that starting at level three would be best even though he’s sure it’ll be easy for him, and shows him how to stop the simulation in case he needs to. 

Once Shiro has started fighting the robot that rises up through an opening in the floor, Kolivan sets Keith up in the area specifically made for strength training. He’s shown how to use all the equipment, told to focus on the weights and the running pad for now. 

“I have business to attend to but Regris will be looking over you while you train,” he gestures to Regris, who’s standing silently, “I will be back to check on your progress at least a few times today,” Kolivan adds before leaving.

Regris glances at Shiro, seeing he’s already well into level five, and decides to focus on Keith, knowing he’s the most behind, “Start with the running pad. Fifteen doboshes and then you’ll take a break with the weights.”

Keith nods silently, determined to start his real training as soon as possible, and steps onto the running pad. The conveyer belt like platform he’s standing on immediately starts moving and he walks along with it. Regris moves onto the tablet controlling the pad and increases the speed until Keith starts running; he sets the timer and leaves him be for now.

Not even halfway into it, Keith is already panting hard and feels himself sweaty heavily, thankfully the suit does an amazing job of absorbing the sweat and releasing it as vapor. He feels Regris’s eyes on him and keeps running, his thighs burning. Keith turns his head to look at Shiro, immediately pulled in by the strength and agility of his movements. He makes it look so easy to take down the fighting bot in just a few moves, seeming to predict exactly what the other is going to do and be out of the way just in time.

Time goes by a bit faster while watching Shiro and soon enough the timer beeps and the platform under Keith slows down before coming to a complete stop. Keith steps onto stable ground and hunches over, his face red and his heart pounding ridiculously fast; his body feels as if it’ll collapse under him and just dissolve into a puddle of goo. 

Regris approaches him and exhales sharply, “You have a lot of work to do,” he comments dryly, “Now, the weights,” he orders, putting it on one of the lowers settings. Keith bites back a snappy response and just nods, following the Galran’s instructions. 

Keith isn’t sure how long he’s in the training room, time passing by slower when he’s pushing his body to its limits. He gets short breaks to rest and drink water, glad to have Shiro there as company. Even though Regris isn’t at all a cruel person, he doesn't show any mercy during the training, pushing Keith further than he thought he could. 

The end of the day can’t come soon enough and they’re dismissed right before dinner. Keith sighs in relief and wipes the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand for what feels like the hundredth time that day. He waits until Shiro finishes the level he’s on, having gotten to the sixteenth, and smiles at him tiredly.

Before they leave together, Regris approaches him, “Keith,” he calls out, getting his attention, “You worked hard today. That’s what it takes to be a Blade.”

Keith smiles widely at that and nods, “Thanks. That means a lot,” he replies, heading off to the dining hall with Shiro. When he scans his hand on the food dispenser machine, he’s given almost twice as usual he usually does and the color is slightly different. Keith hums softly and figures this is the diet that Kolivan was talking about. 

They take their usual seats and eat hungrily, both of them amazed that Keith manages to eat everything. Keith leans back in his chair and sighs contently, feeling fuller than ever before, “You know,” he starts, looking at Shiro as he turns his head toward him, “Even though today was rough, I feel strangely satisfied.” 

Shiro chuckles and nods in agreement, “Well you better get used to it,” he replies playfully, “Cause it’s gonna be like this everyday for a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 9 on Tuesday (2/13)


	9. There’s More Than One Way to Relieve Stress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets frustrated about his slow progress and Shiro helps him blow off some steam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ay guys! This chapter is rather short but we're finally seeing some more developments in Shiro and Keith's relationship that I think you'll like _wink wink_. Have fun!

Keith has gotten enough body scans to get over his nervousness. He steps out of the vessel when the doors open and resists the urge to look over Kolivan’s shoulder to try and read the results but the man is just too large and broad, “So?” he asks after a moment, “Can I start my actual training?”

Kolivan sighs and turns toward Keith, “No, not yet,” he replies. 

Keith frowns deeply and looks up at him in disbelieve, “What?!” he exclaims, “But it’s been nearly a phoeb!”

Kolivan shakes his head and looks back at the screen, “You’ve almost meet the requirements Keith, I’d say you need seven more quintants,” he explains, “That’s all I can tell you,” he adds when he sees the other is still growling angrily. 

Keith huffs in frustration and turns on his heel, practically stomping out of the room. He quickly heads back to his room, ignoring the few people he passes. Keith storms into the room and kicks the wall roughly, barely noticing Shiro is already here.

Shiro jolts slightly and looks up from his tablet, lowering it slowly. He furrows his brow in concern, “Keith, what’s wrong?”

Keith crosses his arms and paces around the room, his fluffy ears turned back slightly and pressed against his head, “I can’t start my training yet!” he shouts.

Shiro sighs sadly and sets his tablet aside, moving up on the bed so he’s sitting on the edge, “I’m guessing you didn’t pass the requirements?”

Keith clicks his tongue at that and throws his arms up in the air, unable to find a way to deal with his emotions, “I almost did! I was so close!” he exclaims, “But Kolivan and his strict rules are keeping me from moving ahead even though I know I’m ready!”

Shiro presses his lips together and gestures for Keith to sit down next to him, patting the bed, “You know what the Blades are like by now Keith. Their rules are the reason they’ve been around for so long,” he replies calmly, “How long did Kolivan say it would take?”

Keith reluctantly sits down and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together, “Seven quintants,” he grumbles.

Shiro wraps his arm around his shoulder and rubs his back soothingly, “That’s not too long. I’m sure it’ll go by quickly.”

Keith shrugs and cracks a faint smile, his now much more muscular shoulders relaxing slowly, “I guess you’re right. But I’m still so stressed out and frustrated.”

Shiro hums in understanding, “Well there are ways to deal with stress.”

Keith looks up at him curiously, “Like what?”

“Exercise is the most obvious one.”

Keith shakes his head and pouts slightly, “I’ve had enough of training today,” he grumbles.

Shiro nods slowly and looks away, “I guess the second thing that comes to mind is, you know, sex,” he says with a light blush.

Keith suddenly pulls away and tenses, “You mean what they did?” he growls, almost glaring at him.

Quickly realizing his mistake, Shiro shakes his head, “Oh, no! No, not that,” he exclaims, frantically waving his hands, “That’s not what I meant.”

Keith narrows his eyes, still defensive, “Then what did you mean?”

Shiro thinks about it for a moment and rubs the back of his neck, “Well what they did to you wasn’t sex, because for it to be sex everyone involved has to want it,” he explains, still seeing Keith is confused, “So what I’m talking about wouldn’t hurt. It would feel good and also relieve stress. Like kissing but...just more.”

Keith smiles faintly at the mention of kissing and relaxes slightly, “I do like to kiss you,” he muses, “So it would be like that?”

“Yeah, it would be similar,” he replies, his face flushed.

Keith scoots back to where he was sitting before so their sides are pressed together, “I think I’d like to try it then. But only with you.”

Shiro swallows thickly and takes a deep breath, “Are you sure?” he asks, turning so his body is facing him. 

Keith nods firmly, “Yes, do whatever will feel good and relieve stress,” he replies, “I trust you. But, turn down the lights first. Not all the way though.”

Shiro doesn’t question his request and dims down the lights before he moves back over to him, placing his hands on Keith’s waist, “Okay, if you ever want to stop, please tell me and I will,” he says before they meet halfway for a tender kiss. They start out like they usually do, the kiss chaste and slow, but with a new, excited energy as they think about what this will lead to. 

Keith wraps his arms around Shiro’s neck and combs his fingertips through the short hair of his undercut, finding the sensation soothing. He tilts his head to deepen the kiss and shudders when he feels Shiro’s hands slowly move up and down his sides, the touch entirely different from what he’s felt before. 

Shiro can feel every curve of Keith’s sides through the skin tight suit and after awhile of gentle kissing, he presses his tongue against Keith’s closed lips, encouraging him to open his mouth. Keith gasps a bit at the sensation and, getting the message, parts his lips slowly.

Shiro pushes his tongue inside and slots their lips together, exploring his mouth. Keith gets used to the feeling and decides he likes it, tentatively rubbing his tongue against Shiro’s. He rests his hands on the other’s chest and starts touching his muscled torso through the fabric, trailing his fingers down his biceps.

Eventually, Keith breaks the kiss to catch his breath and pants softly, his lips slightly puffed up and redder than usual. Shiro immediately presses kisses along Keith’s jaw and makes his way down to his neck. He latches onto a patch of purple skin and starts sucking lightly, getting a breathy sigh that almost sounds like a moan from Keith.

Shiro leaves a trail of very faint marks down his neck, the hickeys not very visible against his purple skin, until he reaches the edge of his suit. He pulls back so he can look at Keith’s face through the dim light, “Is it okay if I take this off?” he asks as he places a hand against his back.

Keith blushes deeply and nods, “Yeah, it’s okay,” he says, feeling when Shiro activates the zipper like opening that goes down to the middle of his back. Once it’s loose, Keith tugs the fabric over and down his shoulders before slipping his arms out of the sleeves. Once Shiro realizes he’s planning to take it off completely he helps him out and pulls the tight material off his legs.

Keith is left in just his underwear and sets the suit aside and out of the way, suddenly feeling uncomfortable by being the only one exposed, “You too.”

Shiro smiles in understanding and strips down quickly until he’s just as undressed, “Do you want to continue?” he asks gently, admiring Keith’s slim yet toned build. 

Keith silently moves onto his lap and gets comfortable, loosely wrapping his legs around him. Shiro swallows thickly and puts his hands on Keith’s hips, pulling him closer. He leans forward and continues where he left off, kissing down his chest. 

“That feels nice,” Keith whispers as he runs his hands over Shiro’s back and chest, wanting to feel each inch of his skin. He gasps when he feels Shiro’s lips on his nipple and looks down, groaning at the sight.

Keith buries his face into Shiro’s shoulder, muffling his moans while the other licks and sucks at one nipple and rubs the other between his thumb and index finger. His half hard cock becomes fully erect and Keith whines when he feels his slit’s wetness start to soak his underwear. 

Shiro notice Keith’s hips rocking up, seeking any sort of friction, and lets his fingers wander down his thighs. He moves his mouth to his other nipple, getting it wet with his saliva, and moves his hand over Keith’s knee to his inner thigh.

“Can I touch here?” he mutters against his chest as he slowly inches closer to his crotch. 

Keith shudders and nods quickly, “Yes,” he chokes out, clinging onto Shiro’s shoulders, “I need...I need you to touch me there.”

The moment he utters those words, Shiro cups Keith’s crotch, his hand pressing against the other’s cock and slit. Keith’s hips jolt up involuntarily and he lets out a loud moan, grinding again his hand. 

Encouraged by his reaction, Shiro starts touching him through the wet fabric and rubs his palm against his length while stroking his cunt with three fingers. Keith’s spreads his legs wider and lays back on the bed, pulling Shiro down over him. He pulls his face back so he can see Keith and hooks his thumb into the waistband of his underwear, moving it along the band to tease the skin underneath. 

“Just take it off,” Keith whines out of frustration, looking at him through half lidded eyes. Shiro chuckles and complies, slipping his underwear off. He takes a moment to admire his arousal, intrigued by his different biology even though he saw him nude when they first meet, before wrapping one hand around his cock and using the other to keep rubbing his slit.

Keith grips the sheets so tight that his knuckles turning white and throws his head back, his hair splaying over the bed. He starts panting hard and feels drops of sweat roll down his forehead and thighs, moans tumbling from his lips out of his control. Shiro’s strokes his member slowly and slides his fingers up and down his cunt, finally touching his clit after a while. 

“Shiro!” he cries out when his fingertips rub against the sensitive bud, all of his muscles pulling tight as a wave of pleasure pulses through him.

“Wow. You’re so sensitive here,” Shiro whispers before he rubs against his clit again, getting the same reaction. He continues running his fingers up and down his cunt, making sure to give his clit a few rubs each time. Shiro doesn’t know if Keith is ready for anything to go inside so he doesn’t push him, knowing very well that the other is already feeling intense pleasure from just this. 

Keith squirms on the bed and clenches his thighs around Shiro’s waist, his toes curling, “I-I’m close,” he warns, his voice more high pitched than usual. He snaps his eyes open, not even realizing they were closed, when Shiro’s fingers suddenly pull away, “Why’d you stop?” he asks almost angrily.

Shiro chuckles softly and grins, “I just wanna know if I can use my mouth to finish you,” he replies sheepishly.

Keith flushes deeply and looks away, unsure how he’d feel with Shiro so close to his arousal, “Okay. Yeah, that’s fine,” he decides. 

Shiro smiles at him reassuringly, able to tell he’s nervous, and slowly lowers himself. Once he’s settled between Keith’s legs, he starts kissing his thighs gently, noticing him twitching slightly. Keith reaches down and threads his fingers through Shiro’s hair, lifting his head a bit so he can see what he’s doing.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity of teasing kisses to his thighs and hips, Shiro presses his lips against Keith’s cunt. He laps at him with his tongue at first, getting used to the feeling and the slightly sour taste. 

Keith’s jaw hangs open and he hooks his ankles together, resting them on Shiro’s shoulder blades. He arches his back and rolls his hips desperately, “Come on,” he mutters, “You want me to come, don’t you?”

In response, Shiro immediately licks his cunt with a new vigor, using two fingers to spread his lips so he can get to the most sensitive folds. He kisses up his cunt and wraps his lips around the bud which protrudes slightly, sucking on it hard.

Keith mewls erotically and he feels an unfamiliar build of pleasure centered in his gut, “Y-yes! Yes!” he cries out, “That’s it!”

Shiro growls eagerly and grips Keith’s hips, pulling them closer so his face is practically buried in his cunt. He remembers Keith’s neglected cock and reaches up to stroke it quickly, rubbing the head with his thumb. 

The stimulation to both Keith’s cock and cunt is what pushes him over the edge and his legs squeeze around Shiro’s head. He lets out a silent scream when the waves of pleasure finally wash over him, his cunt squirting juices over Shiro’s face while his cock sputters ropes of cum onto his stomach. 

Keith tugs on the other’s hair while he rides out his orgasm and Shiro works him through it, sucking and stroking him to completion. Keith lets out his final moan before collapsing against the bed, his legs falling from Shiro’s shoulders as his body goes limp.

Shiro sits up and wipes his face cleaning, grinning down at the panting, sweaty mess that is Keith, “How was that?” he asks teasingly, “Good enough to relieve your stress?”

Keith huffs playfully and pulls Shiro down so he’s laying next to him, “It was...satisfactory.”

“Just satisfactory?” Shiro raises his brow and pulls Keith into a hug, “It sounded between than just satisfactory.”

Keith laughs and nuzzles against him, “Okay fine. It was pretty good.”

Shiro hums at that and nods, “I guess that’s good enough,” he muses.

Keith presses his lips together and shifts his position slightly, “Do...Do you want me to take care of you?”

Shiro raises his brow and hums softly, “Do you want to?” he asks, “I mean, do you want to because you truly do or because you feel like you need to?”

Keith hesitates for a while and sighs in defeat, “I guess I don’t really want to.”

“Well then no, I don’t want you to,” he replies as he rubs his back soothingly. Keith relaxes in his arms and lets out a purring sound when Shiro scratches behind his ears. He closes his eyes and enjoys the intimate closeness, fighting off sleep for as long as he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 10 on Friday (2/16)


	10. What It Takes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finally gets to start his real training but while learning to fight he's forced to face his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sadly this chapter is on the short side like the last one and it's because I really wanted this fic to be an even 30 chapters so I had to split a couple of longer ones into two parts. If you guys thought Keith's past is over and behind him I'm sorry to say it's going to come up many more times. Enjoy the angst!

“You passed,” Kolivan announces much to Keith’s surprise, “You can start your training.”

Keith goes to stand next to the Galra leader so he can see the screen, realizing that Kolivan is right, “Oh wow,” he mutters. He notices Kolivan is staring at him with a cocked eyebrow, “Oh um it’s a human thing Shiro taught me. It’s a way to express surprise,” he explains quickly, “How is that possible though? It’s only been three quintants.” 

Kolivan clasps his hands behind his back, “I said before you were almost there so I’m not surprised it didn’t take too long,” he replies, turning toward Keith, “So, would you like to start today?”

A wide grin spreads over Keith’s face and he nods eagerly, “Yes!” he exclaims, louder than he intended to be. Kolivan gives him an amused look and immediately leads Keith to the training room, noticing he’s having hard time containing his excitement. 

When Shiro notices them enter he pauses the simulation he’s working on, the robot freezing and standing completely still, “Did you pass?” he calls out, already knowing the answer from Keith’s expression.

“I did!” Keith shouts happily and practically tackles him with a hug. Shiro laughs and returns the hug, managing to keep him up off the ground. 

“That’s amazing!” he exclaims, spinning Keith around a few times before he sets him down, “When you are you starting?”

Keith takes a step back and blushes lightly when he realizes Kolivan and some other Blades were watching them, “Right now actually.”

Shiro hums happily and Kolivan approaches them, “Shiro, you can continue. I’ll be training Keith for a while.” The man nods and goes back to fighting the simulation and Keith is lead to an empty space, giving them ample room. 

Keith faces Kolivan and takes a deep breath, “So what are we doing first?”

“Lets begin with your stance,” Kolivan replies much to Keith’s disappointment, “Keep your feet apart. No, not that far,” he pauses, waiting for the other’s feet to be the right distance, “That’s good. Shift your right foot forward slightly and turn both of them outward. Good.”

Keith follows his instructions and lets Kolivan moves his arms and hands into a defence position so they’re in front of his chest, “This is the standard fighting position you should always take. Now stand normally again and go back to it.” He watches Keith drop his arms and bring his feet back before taking the position again, needing to make a few adjustments, “Do it five more times. This position needs to be second nature for you.”

Even after just five times repeating the action, Keith already feels the position becoming more natural. After he’s done enough Kolivan starts to teach him the basic fighting moves, mostly defensive tactics. 

About an hour passes before Kolivan has Keith take his blade out so he can teach him how to properly use it. First he learns how to hold the knife depending on which move he’s planning on doing and before Keith knows it, he’s practicing simple moves by slashing the air, blushing when Shiro calls out compliments every now and then. 

Kolivan decides Keith has had enough training when dinner time starts to roll around and dismisses him, “I’ll see you here after breakfast tomorrow. We’ll keep working on this and eventually you’ll be practicing with Regris.”

Keith smiles and thanks him, waiting for Shiro to finish up his training before they head to the canteen. When Shiro notices there’s no one in the hallway, he reaches his hand over and touches the other’s hand. Keith blushes lightly and laces their fingers together slowly, squeezing Shiro’s hand. 

They swing their arms as they walk and quickly let go when someone turns the corner, both of them unsure if they’d want people to know about their relationship, especially since they haven’t defined it because neither of them feel the need to.

It takes several days of training for Kolivan to feel Keith is ready for the next stage. He gestures for Regris to come over and tells them to take out both their blades, “No direct contact with the knives of course. Your goal is to disarm the other person and disable them. Try to go easy on him, Regris.”

Kolivan steps back and gives the two of them more than enough room. Keith takes a deep breath and faces Regris, taking a fighting stance and making sure he’s holding his knife properly. 

Keith is much smaller than his opponent and obviously less skilled, feeling intimidated as they start circling each other cautiously. Regris makes the first move and Keith manages to block his attack, grunting when their blades clash together, sparks flying. 

Regris decides to give Keith a chance to play the offensive although he easily avoids or blocks his hits. He goes for a strike to the neck, guessing the other will block him, and instead feels a hand grab his wrist.

Before Keith can even process what’s going on, his arm is twisted behind his back and he cries out in pain, forced to drop his blade. Regris kicks the weapon across the floor and pins Keith against the ground before he can recover. 

Keith struggles against the hold, unable to see Regris or anything other than the floor for that matter. He turns his head but all there is is the wall. Keith’s closes his eyes for just a second and dozens of faces flash in his mind, one in particular haunting him the most. 

His heart beats abnormally fast and all he can feel is the hands pinning him down, the weight on top of him. Keith hears a dark, familiar laughter and shakes his head, letting out a short, quick breaths. 

He squeezes his eyes shut in an attempt to get rid of the sound but when he opens them he sees the wall of the dimly lit bedroom. He immediately recognizes the dark purple curtains that hang from the canopy. No. He can’t be there again. But everything looks and feels so real. The silk sheets under his body and the stench of the breath that’s way too close and the pain throbbing in his hips.

Keith is in full blown panic mode and squirms as hard as he can, the parts of his legs that are free kicking wildly, “L-Let me go!” he screeches, the sound awful and echoing through the room, “Stop it! Please stop!”

He thinks he hears a muffled voice but he can’t pick up on what it’s saying, his brain too preoccupied with escaping this situation. Suddenly, the hands and the weight pushing him down are gone. Keith quickly sits up and scrambles across the floor until his back is pressed against a wall. 

Keith lifts his head and is faced with a dozen pairs of eyes staring at him. He hyperventilates and his lungs scream for air no matter how much he breathes in, his throat seeming to close up. He doesn’t recognize any of the faces as first until his eyes land on Shiro. Keith eyes widen and he looks around frantically, finally completely back to reality, “Oh my god,” he barely chokes out, shame washing over him. 

Shiro approaches him very slowly and crouches down in front of Keith, thankfully blocking his view of the others who are still looking, “Keith, where are you?”

Keith swallows thickly and struggles to breath, “The Blade of Marmora,” he whispers, tears he didn’t know were there steaming down his cheeks. 

“Yes, exactly. And you’re safe here,” Shiro says with a gentle smile, “Everything’s okay.” 

Keith barely registers what Shiro says and stands up suddenly, pushing past him and a confused and worried Regris. He stumbles out of the training room and runs down the hall, unable to deal with the fact that so many people saw him freak out like that. 

Shiro watches him go and turns toward Kolivan who nods his head, “You should go after him. He needs you.” He sighs shakily and heads out of the room as well, most of them still figuring out exactly what just happened. 

The commotion coming from inside Keith’s room is audible from five doors down and Shiro frowns in worry, walking faster. He comes inside the room and a shoe hurling at the wall, barely misses him. 

The room is a complete mess and Keith is throwing whatever he can, screaming out his frustration. Angry tears stain his face and he’s still wheezing and panting wildly, unable to properly deal with his emotions.

“Keith, stop that,” Shiro says only to see Keith throw something else across the room, “Keith,” he repeats, more firmly this time, “Stop.”

Shiro walks up to him and dodges another flying object before he’s close enough to pull him into a tight hug. Keith freeze and drops what he’s holding, “I...” he whispers, unsure what to say. 

Shiro simply holds him and rubs his back, nodding a bit when the other lets out a loud sob, “It’s okay,” he mutters, “Just cry and let it out.”

Keith slumps against Shiro and presses his face into his shoulder, getting the other wet with his tears, “I-I...That was so fucking embarrassing.” 

Shiro presses his lips together, “I’m sorry that happened Keith,” he replies, knowing he can’t really counter his point, “But everyone's probably just worried about you.”

Keith manages to get his breathing under control, at least to the point where his chest doesn’t hurt, “I can’t believe I messed up like that. I was finally feeling part of this group and then...I go and show everyone how weak I am.”

Shiro cups his face and wipes away his tears, “You’re not weak. If anything, you’re strong because of this. You’re working through a lifetime of trauma and instead of just letting what happened control you you’re fighting back.”

Keith looks down and smiles faintly, “I guess you’re right. It just doesn’t feel like that,” he mutters, lifting his head when he hears the door open. He swallows thickly when he recognize Regris and invites him in when he realizes he’s waiting for him to.

“I’d like to apologize,” Regris starts, “I should have know your past would have an effect like that. I’ll make sure not to do that again.”

Keith shifts his body weight slightly and nods a bit, “Thank you for saying that,” he replies, “But I’m going to need to find a way to fight back against those sort of reactions. In a real fight, my opponent won’t stop and will probably use my past to their advantage.”

Regris hums in understanding, “I know that and I spoke to Kolivan about it. We decided we’d continue your training in a way that would let you learn how to cope at your own pace. We’ll talk more in depth about it later but now I think I’ll give you some time alone with Shiro.”

Keith blushes lightly at the mention of Shiro, guessing Regris is aware of the nature of their relationship, “Thank you. I’ll see you later today and if not, then tomorrow.” Regris bids him goodbye and leaves the room, the door closing behind him.

Shiro smiles and threads his fingers through Keith’s hair, “That went well. I’m sure this whole thing will be fine. You just have to work hard at it.”

Keith rests his head against Shiro’s chest and lets his eyes close, exhausted by the day’s events, “I know. I’ll do whatever it takes to be a Blade.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 11 on Tuesday (2/20)


	11. It's in Your Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith continues his training and goes on his first mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayy bois! I don't have much to say about this chapter, I wouldn't call it a filler cause it has some plot development but it's just meant to move Keith along his process of becoming a Blade. Enjoy!

Kolivan offers Keith three quintants off so he can properly recover but he refuses, wanting to get right back on the horse without losing any time. He does take it easy during the first half of the day, running less than he usually would and lifting lighter weights. 

Regris approaches him after lunch and actually smiles, the curling of his lips slightly off but he’s trying his best to imitate the mostly human behavior, “Do you want to continue your training?”

Keith nods at that and returns the smile, following Regris to an empty space, “First I want to know what I should avoid doing so I don’t accidentally trigger a memory like yesterday.”

Keith raises his brow and hums, finding it very considerate, “Well it’s mostly being pinned or held down,” he explains, “And the fact that I couldn’t see your fact last time was really what caused it.”

Regris nods in understanding, “I’ll make sure to avoid doing anything like that for now,” he replies before they begin. They start with slow sparring so Regris can show Keith how he should defend himself against certain moves and effectively attack his opponent. 

Once Regris feels they’ve gone over enough moves, he decides to pick up the pace and continue with the real fighting they had done the day before. Regris makes sure to go easier on Keith and avoids putting him in holds where he can’t see his face. They spend a few hours training before stopping for dinner.

Keith finds himself enjoying the training, liking the rush of adrenaline he gets whenever they start a new round and the burst of power when he manages to land a hit. He settles into the routine easily, spending his time either training Regris or with Shiro. Keith progresses faster than anyone expected him to, once he’s built up enough strength he has no problem pushing himself to his limits. 

Kolivan makes a point to watch him fight with either Regris or a simulation if the Galran isn’t available at least once a week, wanting to observe his progress. Keith even becomes friends with Regris and a few other Blades, always eagerly asking them questions about their missions when they return. 

Although the Blades are still more experienced than Keith, he shows the potential to be on their level one day. Kolivan decides after about three weeks of training that Keith is ready to use his skills in the real world. 

Keith hears his name being called out and looks up from his plate, seeing Kolivan is approaching him, “Hey, what’s up?” he says a bit awkwardly before glancing at Shiro, “Was that right?”

Shiro chuckles and nods, “It was pretty good,” he notices Kolivan’s look of confusion and does his best to hold in a laugh when the Galran actually looks up at the ceiling, “Oh no, it’s a human expression. It pretty much means what’s going on or how are you doing.”

Kolivan shakes his head and gives him an unimpressed stare, “Or you could just say that instead,” he says dryly, “Keith, would you be interested in accompanying Regris on a mission tomorrow?”

Keith gasps and nearly drops his utensil, “Yes!” he exclaims, lowering his voice when he realizes how loud he was, “I mean, of course sir. I would love to do that...Would Shiro be coming too?” he asks hesitantly. 

Kolivan mulls it over for a moment and nods, “Yes, I suppose your mate could j-”

“Wait, what? Did you say mate?” Keith interrupts him without thinking, his eyes wide with surprise. 

Kolivan frowns slightly and glances at Shiro, who’s blushing deeply and looking at his plate, “I apologize if I assumed incorrectly but I was under the impression that you two are together, at least in a romantic way.”

Keith and Shiro share a few seconds of eye contact and they nod slowly, “Uh yeah, that’s correct. We just didn’t think anyone else knew because we weren’t obvious about it in public,” Shiro speaks up, “Also the word ‘mate’ isn’t something I would use. Something like partner seems more appropriate.”

“I didn’t realize you were keeping it private but it’s clear you two are very close and more than friends,” Kolivan replies, getting Keith to wonder how long people were onto them, “And I’m sure mate and partner mean the same thing. A mate is someone a person is with for life and there is an unbreakable bond of trust and love between two mates.”

Keith can’t help smile at that and looks up at Shiro, “Well I guess mate would fit too then.”

Shiro sighs happily and nods, taking his hand gently, “I do consider you to be someone I want to be for life. And our bond is strong,” he replies, “So we’re mates.” Kolivan clears his and cocks his brow at Shiro, “Oh um, the mission. Yes, I’d like to go too.”

“Good. Meet me in the control room after you’re done eating so I can brief you on the mission,” Kolivan says before he leaves them. 

Keith laughs softly and nuzzles against Shiro, “I guess people know that...we’re partners or mates or whatever.” 

Shiro scoots close to him and sighs contently, “I don’t really care. As long as we get to be together.” Keith grins at that and pulls away after a while, needing to finish his meal. 

Once they’re done with lunch, they quickly head to the control room, Kolivan already waiting for them. When he sees they’re there, he pulls up a holographic map of the known universe, the Blade of Marmora headquarters and outposts marked as well as those of the Galra Empire.

“Our mission is simply. To stop cargo ship on this supply line,” he says, focusing in on a dotted line that starts at a distance planet and ends at the Galra Empire headquarters, “carrying quintessence before it reaches the Central Command Ship. We’ve been raiding this supply line for quite some time and always leave trackers so we know when to strike again.”

“The ship is operated by at least one Galra soldier and sentries so they’re pretty easy to take down,” he explains, “It’s a perfect way to apply what both of you have learned. Regris will be leading the mission so follow his orders,” he adds, giving Keith a knowing look, “Any questions?”

Keith nods and speaks up, “Yes, what will we be doing with the quintessence once we have it in our possession?”

Kolivan hums softly, “That’s a good question. Not only do these raids weaken the Empire but we use the quintessence to power our own outposts and ships,” he replies, “You’ll meet Regris in the main hall right after breakfast tomorrow. Make sure to be in your suits, we’ll be leaving different ones in your room that are made for mission, and have all your gear.”

_____________________________________________________

Keith triple checks he has everything he needs before they leave the room even though all he’s required to bring is his Blade and a blaster as backup. He starts to get a fluttery feeling in his gut as he walks toward the main hall with Shiro, “Fuck I’m getting nervous,” he mutters, using yet another human word he learned from Shiro when the man stubbed his toe.

Shiro smiles at him reassuringly and takes his hand, squeezing firmly, “I’m sure you’ll do great. Plus it’s an easy mission and Regris will be with us.”

Keith sighs shakily and returns the squeeze, “I guess so,” he mutters, still sounding unsure.

“I’ll always have your back Keith.”

He smiles and takes a deep breath, “Same goes for me.” Keith spots Regris waiting for them and he lets go of Shiro’s hand. 

“You two ready?” Regris asks, activating his mask once they nod and instructing them to do the same. They step into the elevator and are lifted up to a higher floor they didn’t even know existed. Keith soon realizes it’s a hangar bay where several fighters and a few pods are being kept.

Regris brings them to a smaller one and ushers them inside. Keith quickly recognizes it as a Galra ship, “Did you guys steal this from them?”

Regris sits in the pilot seat and starts the ship, entering in the coordinates, “Yes. We hacked into their ships regularly and use them. It comes in handy when going into Galra occupied territory as to avoid easy detection.”

Keith nods in understanding and takes a seat next to Shiro, looking around the ship curiously. He hears a loud whirring sound and realizes an exit is opening up above them. Regris pilots the ship and flies them out of the base and the star before putting the ship in autopilot, knowing it’ll follow the course to the supply line.

“Here’s the plan,” Regris says as he turns toward the others, “I’ll stop the fighter out of the range of the cargo ship and we’ll use our packs to fly the rest of the way so we’ll be too small for the ship to detect us,” he explains, “We’ll board and I’ll go for the Galra soldier first who should be in the control room. You two will take care of the sentries and once that’s done we’ll bring the quinessence on board and plant the trackers.”

Keith and Shiro nod in understanding and soon enough they’ve arrived, seeing the cargo ship in the distance. Regris stops the fighter and opens up the hatch, activating his pack before flying out into space. He waits for Shiro and Keith to join him before he leads the way to the ship.

This is Keith’s first time out in space like this and he marvels at the feeling of being completely free, forcing himself to focus on the mission instead of admiring his surroundings. They board the ship and Keith takes his blade out before they enter, and glances at Shiro to make sure he’s armed as well, seeing his Galra arm is already activated. 

They split up once they’re inside, Regris running to the control room and leaving the two of them behind. Keith immediately spots a sentry turning the corner and sprints toward it, slashing its blaster in half and stabbing his blade through its head before it can start firing. 

Shiro follows after him and attacks another sentry down the hall, cutting through its torso with his glowing prosthetic. He turns toward Keith and grins proudly, “Lets do this.”

The couple stick together and make their way through the ship, taking down sentries along with the way with little to no problem. Keith feels the familiar rush of adrenaline while he fights, taking pleasure in the burning of his muscles. 

It only takes them a few minutes to clear the ship of any threat and they meet back up with Regris in the storage room. It takes a few trips for them to bring all the vessels of quintessence to their ship. 

Regris takes out three trackers and shows the others how to activate them and secure them before giving them each one to put on a different part of the ship. They finish promptly and fly back into the ship, setting a course back to the base.

Keith turns off his mask, revealing his wide grin, and pants softly, “I can’t believe we did that,” he whispers, looking up at Shiro, “A phoeb ago I would have thought I’d never be capable of anything like this.”

Shiro smiles proudly and puts a hand on his shoulder, “I always knew you could. I always knew.” 

“He’s right Keith,” Regris interjects, “It’s in your blood.”

Keith nods slowly and sighs happily, sitting back down and resting his body on the way back as he basks in his pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 12 on Friday (2/23)


	12. Sick to My Stomach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finds himself sick one morning and doesn't think much of it but Shiro insists they go to the medical bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This chapter was one of my favorites to write and it's the start of another arc that happens within the larger Blade of Marmora arc that pretty much lasts the whole fic. If you don't want any spoilers, don't read the tags cause I add new tags with each chapter I post. I hope you enjoy!

After the rush and excitement of Keith’s first mission, he’s hooked. He asks Kolivan at least once every few days if there’s a mission for him and most of the time the answer is the same: not right now but if something comes up I’ll let you know. 

Keith’s constant asking pays off a week later when Kolivan sends him, Shiro and a few Blades on an information hunting mission. Keith has a small role and shadows Antok to learn how to effectively gather intel. Although he doesn’t have an essential part, he’s still happy to be there and knows it’ll pay off later. 

When Keith returns, he heads to his room since it’s almost time to sleep. He smiles when he sees Shiro is already there, laying in bed and reading on his tablet. Shiro looks up when he hears Keith come in, “Hey sweetheart. How did it go?”

“Pretty good,” he replies as he sits down on the edge of the bed, “I mostly learned how to collect intel but I did get the chance to take down a few sentries.” 

Shiro hums softly and scoots so he’s behind Keith, wrapping his arms around him, “I’m glad,” he mutters, peppering his neck with kisses.

Keith chuckles and leans back against Shiro’s chest, “That feels nice,” he whispers, letting his eyes flutter closed. 

“Does it now?” Shiro whispers right into his ear, causing the other to shudder. He moves his hands around his torso and touches his chest, “You know, I’ve always loved how you look in this suit.”

Keith blushes lightly and turns his head to the side so he can kiss Shiro, locking their lips together. Shiro smiles into the kiss and deepens it, putting one hand on his thigh and moving the other one to his back so he can open the suit.

Keith pulls back when he feels Shiro is about to unzip his suit, “I um...Nevermind,” he mutters, trying to kiss him again.

Shiro frowns slightly and keeps Keith from kissing him, putting his hands on his shoulders, “What is it? Do you want to stop?”

Keith sigh shakily and avoids eye contact with Shiro, “I mean, you want to so let’s keep going.”

Shiro shakes his head at that and cups Keith’s face, “It doesn’t matter if I want to unless you do too,” he says gently, “Please be honest with me. I promise I won’t be upset.”

Keith fidgets with his fingers and presses his lips together, “I...I guess I don’t feel like it right now. I’m tired and I-”

“You don’t need to explains yourself. If you don’t want to have sex, then I don’t want to.”

Keith smiles in relief and nuzzles against Shiro, “I just want you to hold me.”

Shiro grins widely and lays back on the bed, pulling Keith down with him. He hugs him close and curls himself around him protectively, “That I can do,” he whispers tenderly, threading his fingers through Keith’s hair while he nuzzles against him.

The next morning, Keith wakes up suddenly and sits up in bed. He’s overwhelmed by a queasy feeling in his gut and throat and lunges out of bed, waking Shiro up in the process. Keith’s head spins and he stumbles into the bathroom, getting to the toilet just in time.

Keith gags as he empties the contents of his stomach, his mouth tasting like acid and semi-digested food goo. He grips the edge of the toilet tight and heaves, barely able to catch his breath before another wave of nausea washes over him and he vomits again, this time mostly spitting up bile and mucus. 

Shiro followed Keith to the bathroom and crouches next to him, rubbing his back soothingly, “Hey baby,” he mutters tiredly, “Are you sick?”

Keith pants hard and once he’s sure he isn’t going to throw up again, he lifts his head up, “I don’t know,” he replies, “God, that was gross.”

Shiro cleans up a bit of spit on Keith’s chin and presses his hand again his forehead, “Well your temperature is fine,” he observes, “Maybe it’s something you ate last night.”

Keith shrugs and gets up on shaky legs, “I don’t know. Maybe.” 

“Let’s go to the medical bay after breakfast to make sure you’re okay,” Shiro says as he leads him back to bed. They crawl under the covers and Keith stays close to the edge of the bed just in case he needs to throw up again. He isn’t able to fall back asleep due to the persistent nausea and just lays there, watching Shiro who promptly fell back asleep.

They get up at their usual time and, although Keith is slightly better than before, he still feels awful. At breakfast, he tries his best to eat but doesn’t get much down, partly because of the nausea and partly because he’s afraid of throwing it back up. 

Shiro glances at Keith worriedly, noticing he’s a paler purple than usual, and finishes his meal quickly, “Come on, we’re going to the medical bay.”

Keith nods and gets up silently, letting Shiro lead him down the hallway. There’s only one doctor in the medical bay tending to a few Blades who are recovering from injuries sustained in the field. 

Shiro approaches her and smiles politely, “Hello, my partner here isn’t feeling too well. He threw up this morning but doesn’t have a fever or anything.”

The doctor hums softly and looks at Keith, “It’s probably something he ate then so it should pass in a few vargas,” she says, “But just to be safe, I’ll do a body scan,” she says, gesturing to five identical vessels. Keith lets the doctor lead him over to them and steps inside the first one, watching absent mindlessly as the machine scans him a few times.

Keith steps out once the glass slides open and walks over to Shiro, leaning against him while the doctor looks over the results. He watches her facial expression and notices her furrow her brow, seeming to read one section a few times over, “Oh um...”

Shiro straightens up and frowns, “What’s wrong?” he asks worriedly, “Is he sick?”

The doctor swallows thickly and shakes her head, turning to face the couple, “No, not exactly,” she replies, unsure how to go about saying this, “He’s pregnant. Over a phoeb in.”

Keith’s heart stops for what feels like an eternity and all the muscles in his body pull tight, “No,” he whispers, “No, that’s not possible.” He pushes past the doctor so he can read the results for himself. And there it is. 

_Patient GH-469 one phoeb and ten quintants pregnant._

He backs away slowly and bile builds up in his throat, the taste just as awful and bitter as the realization that he’s carrying some unknown Galra’s child. Shiro watches him with wide eyes, frozen with shock, and sighs shakily, “Keith-”

Keith digs his fingers into his scalp and tugs his hair hard, “No!” he cuts him off, “This isn’t happening! This can’t be happening!” His stomach lurches and contracts painfully and he slouches over as he vomits what little is in his gut over the floor, choking and gagging as his throat convulses. 

Shiro presses his lips together and looks at the appalled doctor, “Go get Kolivan,” he says frantically, “Please.” The doctor nods curtly and bolts out the room.

Keith crouches down slowly and trembles, letting out an ugly sob, “I can’t do this,” his voice cracks. Shiro carefully moves Keith away from the puddle of vomit on the floor and sits down next to him, pulling him into a hug.

“You can get through this,” he whispers, managing to get Keith’s hands out of his hair to prevent him from tugging on the strands, “You won’t be alone. I’ll be here through it all.”

Keith is practically wailing by now and clings onto Shiro, digging his fingers into his suit so hard he’s leaving crescent shaped marks in his skin, “I know you will be but I still can’t do this,” he croaks, “Not again.”

Shiro swallows down a gasp and licks his dry lips, staying eerily silent for a moment, “Again?” he asks quietly once he’s collected himself. 

Keith nods against his chest and hiccups, “Y-yeah. I had two babies,” he mutters, “And four miscarriages.” 

Shiro grinds his teeth in anger but holds it all in for Keith’s sake, tightening his arms around him, “I’m so sorry darling. It’ll be different now though. You had complete control over what’s going to happen.” 

The door opens and Shiro looks up to see Kolivan entering the room with the doctor behind him. By the look of his face, Shiro guesses he already knows what’s going on. Kolivan knows well enough to let them be, watching the sad scene unfold, while the doctor quietly cleans up the vomit. 

“What if I want to get rid of it?” Keith whispers after he’s more of less cried it out. 

Shiro rubs small circles into Keith’s back, “Then that’s what we’ll do,” he replies, “This is your decision and I more than understand why you’d want that.”

Keith sighs shakily and wipes his face, slowly standing up on shaky legs, “I still need to think about it,” he mutters, turning to see Kolivan, “Oh I didn’t know you were here. Do...Did the doctor tell you?”

Kolivan nods slowly and approaches him, “Yes, I’m aware of the situation. If you’re ready for it we should talk about the options we can take from here. But the final decision is yours to take.”

Keith moves over to one of the beds and pulls himself onto it, needing to sit down, “Yeah, okay. I need to know what’s ahead.”

“We have the equipment here to perform an abortion until the four phoeb mark. It will be painless and quick,” Kolivan explains, “If you choose to keep the child, we will make sure we’re prepared for a birth and you will raise the child here at the base. We will make sure we have everything the child needs as well. You’ll be allowed to go on missions until two phoebs before the birth and that means you’ll probably have to wait until after to go through the Trials.”

Keith nod slowly and hunches over, holding his head in his hand, “Okay,” he mutters, “Okay,” he repeats. Shiro moves close to him and puts his hand on his shoulder. Keith smiles at him weakly, “I need time to think about this.”

“I completely understand Keith. Let me know,” he replies, turning to leave so they can have some privacy.

“And Kolivan?” 

“Yes Keith?” he stops and looks back when he calls out to him.

Keith fidgets with his fingers and presses his lips together, “Please don’t tell anymore just yet. I want to be the one to do that...if I end up deciding to do that.”

Kolivan nods in understanding, “Of course, I wasn’t planning on saying anything,” he replies and leaves them alone. 

Keith hangs his head and clasps his hands in his lap, a thousand thoughts and worries bouncing around in his brain. Unlike most of the time, Shiro’s gentle touches and sweet words don’t do much to comfort him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 13 on Tuesday (2/27)


	13. Two Heartbeats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith struggles to decide whether he should keep the baby or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Even though I guess this is technically mpreg I'm not sure if I want to label it as that since Keith is an alien so it's not the same and plus guys can get pregnant too (shout out to my fellow trans bois ayy). Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Keith barely leaves the room after they discover his pregnancy and wraps himself up his covers, sleeping as much as he physically can. He only leaves to train for a few hours a day, not wanting to lose any of the progress he’s made, but other than that he spends his time wallowing in his own self pity. 

The only way Shiro can explain Keith’s behavior is to understand it as a deep grieving. He takes care of Keith as best as he can but there’s only so much he can do since it’s up to Keith to pull himself out of this slump. Shiro checks up on him at least three times a day, he brings him his meals and makes sure he’s eating enough, spending all his free time with Keith even if he doesn’t feel like talking. 

It’s been a few days of this pattern and Shiro is hoping Keith will be ready to at least talk. He doesn’t expect him to make his decision yet. All he wants is to have the old Keith back. 

Shiro enters the room slowly, carrying a plate of food, and turns on the lights. He watches the lump under the covers shift slightly and groan, a hand reaching out to tug the blanket higher. Shiro sighs and sits on the edge of the bed, pulling the covers down with a bit of resistance so he can see Keith’s upper body. 

“I brought you some food,” he says as he holds out the plate. Keith is unresponsive and just stares at the ceiling blankly. He looks awful and simply miserable, reminding Shiro of when they first meet. Dark bags line the the bottom of his eyes and his hair is ungroomed and greasy.

“Come on Keith. You have to eat something,” Shiro insists, getting Keith to sit up with his help, “Please eat,” he says as he hands him the utensil.

Keith lets out a defeated sigh and starts eating slowly, taking tiny scoops of food goo at a time; Shiro doesn’t mind as long as he eats. He hums softly and watches him, rubbing his knee through the blanket, “How are you feeling today?”

Keith response with a shrug and glances at him, “Okay, I guess,” he mumbles, “I’ve had a lot of my mind.”

Shiro nods in understanding and smiles reassuringly, “Of course you have. The pregnancy is a big deal and it’s important you think about it,” he replies, “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks like he always does.

Keith lowers his spoon and sets it down on the plate, “I want to,” he replies much to Shiro’s relief, “But I don’t know where to start.”

“Just tell me anything,” he encourages, “Whatever is on your mind.”

Taking a deep breath, Keith does just that, “I’ve been thinking about the others,” he pauses, “The other kids I mean.”

Shiro presses his lips together and nods slowly, “What have you been thinking about them?” he asks quietly.

Keith sighs shakily and tilts his head up, looking up at the ceiling, “I’ve been wondering where they are. If they’re doing okay,” he whispers, “I...They were taken from me right after I gave birth.”

Shiro’s chest tightens and he notices Keith’s eyes glazing over with tears, “I didn’t even get to hold them. I barely even saw their faces. I never gave them names since they didn’t let me. And I can’t stop thinking about how there’s two kids out there that I gave birth to and I have no way to find them. They’re only a quarter human so hopefully they look full Galra and can find a place where they’re happy. They might be dead for all I know...”

Keith didn’t even realize he had started crying when Shiro wipes his tears away. He looks at the man and finds comfort in his soft expression, “And then I start to think about the others. The four babies I lost. It was definitely because of beatings and how they treated me.”

Shiro scoots closer and waits until he’s sure Keith doesn’t have anything else to say before he speaks up, “What happened to you is awful. There’s no getting around that. And I don’t know what to do to help you because there’s nothing that can be done. I just hope those kids are safe and happy. You have no control over what happens to those children but you do have control over what happens now.”

Keith sniffles and wipes his face, his eyes red and puffy, “I don’t know what to do Shiro. On the one hand, it’s not the child’s fault and part of me wants to give it a chance at a life the others didn’t get,” he says, thinking out loud, “But I’m so afraid that if I decide to keep it, I’ll be bringing a monster into the world.”

Shiro shakes his head at that and takes his hand, “It won’t be a monster Keith,” he says firmly, “Like you said, it’s not the child’s fault and I believe that the way you raise a kid is far more important than who the biological parents are. What you teach a child is what shapes them.”

Keith nods slowly and places a trembling hand on his stomach, “I know you’re right but I’m still afraid...And you didn’t ask for this. I don’t want to drag you into parenthood.”

“You didn’t ask for this either though,” Shiro counters, “Anyways, I’ve always wanted to be a father. I would gladly raise this child with you, if that’s what you decide.” 

Keith smiles for the first time in days, his lips curling up just slightly, “You always know what to say, don’t you Shiro?” he asks playfully.

Shiro’s heart flutters and he blushes lightly, “What can I say, I’m just that witty,” he says with a kiss to Keith’s forehead. 

Keith sets the plate aside and opens up his arms, “Hold me?” Before he can even finish his sentence, Shiro’s arms are already around him. He pulls Keith into a tight hug and tangles his fingers through his hair, gently rocking him from side to side.

“Everything will be okay,” he whispers into his shoulder, “You have time to figure this out and we’re all here to support you.”

_____________________________________________________

Although Shiro doesn’t say anything when Keith gets up with him in the morning, the look on his face is enough to express his joy and pride. Shiro immediately takes Keith’s hand in his once they’re out the door and swings their arms as they walk to the canteen.

Even though the only people who know about the pregnancy are Kolivan, the doctor and the two of them of course, all eyes turn on Keith when he walks inside. He’s been absent from meals for a few days and barely seen by anyone so people are naturally curious about what’s going on, his closer friends have also noticed his low mood and change in behavior. 

Keith tries not to let the stares bother him and stands tall, getting his breakfast. By the time he’s seated with Shiro, most of them have realized they were being rude and get back to their meal. The couple sit across from Regris and Keith smile at his friend, “Good morning.”

Regris nods in greeting and continues eating, “It’s good to see you here again. Is something bothering you?” 

Keith exhales slowly and looks down, “Yeah, I have a lot of my mind right now and...I’ll just tell you later. When there aren’t so many people around,” he replies, not ready for everyone to know unless he’s decided what he’ll do; if he choses to get rid of it, he’ll probably keep it a secret anyways. 

Regris shots him a curious look and nods, “I understand. See you in the training room,” he says before he stands up, his plate empty, and leaves them be.

Shiro waits until Regris is out of the room before he speaks up, “So, you’re going to tell him?” he asks, making sure to keep his voice quiet. 

Keith pushes his food around with his spoon and sighs, “Yes, he’s my friend and it feels right for him to know.”

Shiro smiles tenderly and kisses his cheek, “Well good luck, I hope it goes well.” 

Once they’re done eating, they head to the training room. Shiro wishes him good luck again before going off to start the simulation. Keith sighs nervously and approaches Regris, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Regris faces him and frowns slightly, “Right now is a good time to tell me what’s been worrying you. If you want to, that is.”

Keith glances around the room quickly to make sure no one else is in earshot, “Yeah um, so the thing is,” he starts, his voice wavering, “I’m pregnant,” he whispers, the words barely audible. 

Regris’s eyes widen and he someone manages to keep his reaction under control, sometimes Keith wonders if he even has emotions, “Is it Shiro’s?” he asks after a moment.

Keith sighs shakily and runs his fingers through his hair, “Unfortunately, no. I got pregnant before I came here and I found out a few quintants ago,” he mutters, hoping the other will understand what he’s saying without making him actually say it.

“Oh,” Regris utters when he figures out the implications behind what Keith is saying, “That must be extremely difficult for you. I see why you’ve been acting differently lately,” he adds, unsure how to comfort Keith, “Have you decided whether you want to keep it?

Keith shakes his head and avoids eye contact with Regris, “No, I haven’t yet. But I still have time. This is all very confusing.”

“Whatever you end up doing, you will always be one of the strongest people I know.” Keith smiles proudly at that and straightens up, finally looking at Regris, “Now, let’s get to training.”

_____________________________________________________

The early morning is Keith’s favorite time of day. He loves opening his eyes and having the first thing he sees be Shiro’s face. Keith stays close to Shiro, who’s usually still holding him, and admires his face. The warm blankets are still tangled around the two of them.

Keith cups his cheek and traces his fingers down and along Shiro’s chiseled jaw. He looks so peaceful when he’s asleep, his expression relaxed and his hair sticking out in all directions. Keith reaches up and combs Shiro’s hair back to its regular style, humming happily. Shiro makes a quiet noise and nuzzles closer, his lips curling into a faint smile.

_He would make such an amazing father._

The sudden thought surprises Keith and he furrows his brow, looking at Shiro introspectively. Keith lets out a quiet sigh and, now that he thinks about it, he’s positive he would be a good dad; he’s patient and caring and would nurture a child to their fullest potential happiness. 

Keith smiles tiredly and kisses Shiro’s forehead, rubbing his bicep to try to wake him up as gently as possible, “I’m going to keep the baby,” he whispers under his breath.

Shiro’s eyes twitch and he groans softly as he opens them, stretching his legs out as he wakes up, “What was that?” he mutters, his voice hoarse with sleep.

“I want you to raise the baby with me,” he says a bit louder, watching for his reaction.

A smile spread over Shiro’s face as he registers the words, “I’ll do my very best Keith,” he replies, secretly insecure about his ability to be a good father.

Keith sighs in relief and hugs Shiro close, inhaling his musky yet comforting scent, “I know you’ll be a great dad,” he says. 

Shiro chuckles and rolls onto his back, pulling Keith on top of him, causing the other to laugh giddily. Keith straddles his hips and lays his head on his chest, snaking his arms under his armpits to hold his shoulders. Shiro combs his fingers through Keith’s hair and they enjoy the tender moment, not thinking about the challenges that lay ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 14 on Friday (3/2)


	14. The Secret's Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith continues to cope with the fact that he's pregnant, hiding it from most people, but eventually he's forced to open up about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Voltron Season 5 Release Day!! I already finished all the episodes from binge watching it with my friends and I thought it was pretty good! Anyways, for this chapter there's about a three month time skip which I specify in the writing but I wanna let you know here too. And I'm almost halfway done posting the chapters of this fic woo. Enjoy!

Despite the pregnancy, Keith continues with his training and goes on increasingly difficult missions with Kolivan’s blessing of course. He has yet to tell anyone else about it and instead of dealing with the fact that he’ll have to eventually, he just ignores the inevitable. 

Keith struggles with his pregnancy and some days are harder than others; more than once he almost went back on his decision and told Shiro he wants to get rid of it, telling him through ugly sobs that the baby is bound to be a monster. 

Shiro held him for hours on those days and let him vent to him as he cries into his shoulder. He doesn’t want to impose his thoughts on Keith and simply lets him work it out on his own, providing comfort. These episodes, which sometimes last a whole day, always end with Keith sticking with his decision, determined to give the baby a life he didn’t have a chance at. 

About four months since their arrival at the Marmora headquarters, Keith starts to show. At first, his belly protrudes just slightly, as if he’s just bloated, but eventually it grows, as expected. Keith’s skin tight suit doesn’t let him hide the growing bump for long and he’s suddenly struck with the realization that people will ask questions and he’ll have to give some sort of answer. 

Keith stands in front of the full length mirror in his room and furrows his brow. He turns to his side and narrows his eyes, staring at his belly for a long minute. Keith gathers the fabric of his loose sleeping clothes and pulls it back so it’s tight around his front. 

He frowns deeper when he sees the baby bump is rather visible. He stands up straight, correcting his posture, but it doesn’t help much. Keith sighs in defeat after trying several different positions and lifts up his shirt, running his hand down the bump.

Keith quickly changes into his bodysuit and stands in front of the mirror again. Even though black is supposed to be slimming, the bump is still fairly obvious through his suit. He presses his lips together and sucks in his gut but that doesn’t do anything either.

Shiro walks back into the room, catching Keith trying to hide the bump, and sighs softly. He approaches him from behind and wraps his arms around Keith, spotting a slight smile in the mirror. 

“What are you doing sweetheart?” he asks as he places his hand on Keith’s belly, rubbing gently.

Keith purses his lips and leans his head back on Shiro’s chest, letting out a loud sigh, “I can’t hide it anymore,” he mutters.

Shiro nods slowly and nuzzles his face against his neck, “That’s true, but you knew that was gonna happen.”

Keith looks away from the mirror and lets his shoulders drop, “I know but I was in denial and now...people are gonna know and they’re gonna ask questions.”

Shiro knits his eyebrows together and thinks for a moment, “You could just tell them it’s mine. They know we’re together after all.”

Keith meets his gaze in the mirror and smiles faintly, “I guess that’s true,” he mumbles, “But when it’s born it’ll probably look completely Galra and that’s not what people will be expected so they’ll figure it out then,” he thinks out loud, “Plus, I don’t want to lie.”

Shiro peppers his cheek in kiss, trying to cheer him up, “Okay well, you don’t need to answer to them at all if you don’t want to. It’s your choice what information you want to disclose.”

Keith giggles quietly, the kisses tickling him, and turns around in Shiro’s arm, looking up at him, “Maybe, I’ll just see how it goes.”

Shiro gives Keith’s cheek one final kiss before he pulls back, getting changed as well. They head out together to the canteen and Keith takes a deep breath before he enters the room. 

There aren’t too many people eating at the moment, most of them on missions, and they don’t take notice of Keith just yet. 

The couple get there food and Keith scans his hand on the machine, still on a specific diet, and waits as the machine dispenses the food. Antok comes up to him, putting away his plate, and glances at him, “How is everything?”

Keith takes a deep breath and turns to him, “Fine. How was your mission?”

“It was a success,” Antok replies, “We collected the intel we’re looking for and got a few leads on-” he cuts himself off when he notices the baby bump, “Are you pregnant?” he asks bluntly, never having been one to sugarcoat things. 

Keith looks down and places his hand on his stomach, “Yes, I am.” He tries to ignore a few more pairs of eyes turning towards him, most people in the room having heard their conversation.

Antok cocks his brow and exhales slowly, “I’m assuming it’s Shiro’s,” he adds, saying it more as if it’s a statement than a question.

“No,” Keith replies, his voice getting quieter, “It’s from before I came here. When I was...I’m not really sure who the father is. But Shiro and I will raise it together.”

Antok’s eyes widen with understanding and he frowns slightly, of course knowing what situation Keith was in before his arrival, “That must be difficult. I admire your strength,” he says honestly, “I hope all goes well with the pregnancy.”

Keith smiles faintly and nods at that, “Uh thanks. I do too.” Antok nods curtly and leaves Keith be, heading out of the canteen. He takes a deep breath and picks up his plate, sitting down next to Shiro.

“Well, that went well,” Shiro comments, eating another spoonful, “You did a good job I think, dealing with that situation.”

Keith hums softly and starts eating, “I think so too. Maybe this won’t be so bad.”

_____________________________________________________

Eventually, Kolivan and the doctor, whose name Keith has learned is Haxor, convince him to get another scan, which Shiro assumes is similar to an ultrasound, to make sure the baby is growing properly. Shiro happily accompanies Keith to the medical bay, anxious to see how the baby is doing.

Haxor greets them as they enter and leads Keith to a medical bed, “Just lay down on this and I’ll bring over the machine,” she instructs. Keith pulls himself up onto the bed and lays back, watching Shiro stand by his side and take his hand. 

Haxor comes back with the scanner which she can hold in one hand, it’s very simple and doesn’t look like much, “Pull up your shirt please.”

Keith tugs up his shirt just enough to reveal the bump and watches as Haxor presses the scanner against his stomach, moving it slowly so it’s able to scan his entire belly. She holds it in place before it beeps and then moves it the next patch of skin.

Once Haxor has scanned his entire belly, she pulls the scanner away and it whirs for a while before letting out a steady beep. Shiro raises his brow when the machine projects a holographic screen and takes a few moments to realize it’s showing the image of the baby. 

His breath hitches as he stares at the image, it looks similar to ultrasounds he’s seen on Earth but is at a much higher definition, and makes out the head and then the body. The image is in real time and Shiro gasps when he sees the figure move around slightly. 

Shiro looks down at Keith and sees he’s just as mesmerized by the image, “Is the baby healthy?” he asks the doctor after overcoming his initial shock.

Hazor hums softly as she observes the image and looks over other data the scan provided, “Yes, they seem to be growing normally. Perfectly healthy.” Shiro is about to ask her what the sex is when he realizes how stupid that would be, knowing that all Galra have the same sex organs. He realizes he’s not sure how Galra biology or gender works beyond that and makes a note to ask Keith later. 

Shiro squeezes Keith’s hand and smiles tenderly when he sees his eyes are glazed over with tears, “That’s our kid,” he whispers. 

Keith nods and wipes his face, “Yeah,” he chokes out, “God, I’m feeling so many things right now...I’ve never gotten to see my kid before.

Shiro laughs softly and kisses his forehead, feeling a pang of pity, “That’s completely normal. And I promise, you’ll be able to see this one everyday. You’ll watch them grow up and learn to walk and to talk. Every moment. I promise darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 15 on Tuesday (3/6)


	15. A Lead on Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blades' search for Voltron picks up and Keith is eager to participate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayy bois! This chapter marks the half way point of this fic and here I'm sort of introducing a new arc that acts kind of as a break in the pregnancy arc and will pick up later in the fic. I hope you enjoy!

Shiro spends so much of his time and energy helping Keith recover from his trauma and cope with the pregnancy, he often forgets to address his own emotional issues. His nightmares tend to lack the screaming and spasming components of Keith’s so they go unnoticed by his partner. Shiro simply wakes up in a sweat, bile at the back of his throat with his heart beating fast, and turns to see Keith sleeping deeply. He doesn’t dare wake him and simply lays back down, usually staying awake until the morning rolls around.

This time, however, is particularly bad. He opens his eyes to the eerily familiar purple ceiling and he tries to sit up but is meet with tight restraints that hold him down. Haggar’s face suddenly looms over him and her dark laugh echos in his ears, her face pitch black save for her wide grin.

Shiro screams when he feels a searing pain shoot through his body, unable to see what’s causing it because his head is also strapped down to the metal table. The more he screams and yells for Haggar to stop, the more intense the pain becomes. 

“Shiro!” a voice he recognizes calls out, the sound muffled and seeming to come from a distance, “Shiro!” it shouts again, this time clearer and louder. He closes his eyes only to open them again and sees Keith hovering over him, his eyes full of worry, “Thank God,” he whispers once he sees Shiro’s eyes are open.

Shiro pants heavily and tries to calm himself down, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. He sits up slowly and drags his hands over his face, “What happened?” he mutters, his voice raspy.

Keith hesitantly places his hand on Shiro’s shoulder, frowning when he sees him flinch, and rubs small circles into his back, “I couldn’t sleep and at first you were muttering. You started getting louder and yelling, telling someone to stop, and your body was spasming,” he whispers, “Your arms and legs were moving so much I was afraid you’d hurt yourself. You were having a nightmare weren’t you?”

Nothing he says surprises Shiro and he nods slowly, running his fingers through his hair damp with sweat, “Yeah...They’re usually not that bad though.”

Keith furrows his brow and tries to move so Shiro is meeting his gaze but the other refuses to look up, “You didn’t tell me you have nightmares...”

Shiro pulls the sheets off of himself, his body still pulsing with heat, “I didn’t think it was important,” he lies, shrugging it off.

He feels a touch on his hand and looks down to see Keith lacing their fingers together. He smiles weakly and squeezes his hand gently, “It is important Shiro. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Shiro nibbles on the inside of his cheek and glances up at Keith, “I knew you were dealing with so much and I didn’t want to add to it,” he mutters.

Keith’s expression softens and he presses closer, “It’s sweet you would think of me like that but your problems are just as important as mine. And I want to help you just as much as you help me.”

Shiro nods in understanding and lets out a long sigh, “That means a lot,” he whispers, turning his head to meet his gaze.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Keith asks, “About the nightmare, I mean.”

Clenching the sheets tightly, Shiro nods slowly, “They’re always pretty similar. Most of the time it’s the experiments they would do on me,” he mutters, “I never saw what they were doing but I could feel it. I could feel the pain,” he says, his voice cracking.

Keith can tell that’s all Shiro can say for now and he places his hand on his bicep, “That’s awful Shiro,” he says gently, “I’m glad you told me.”

Shiro smiles faintly and nuzzles his head against Keith’s shoulder, “I think I’d like to go back to sleep.”

Keith nods and lays the both of them down, doing his best to hold Shiro even though he’s considerable smaller than him. He rubs Shiro’s back soothingly and rests his head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and smiling when he hears it slow down. 

Both of them sleep peacefully for the rest of the night and wake up in each other’s arms. They’re walking to the canteen when Kolivan stops them in the hallway, “Keith,” he says with a serious tone, “An important mission has come up to collect vital intel. We need one more person, are you interested?”

Keith glances up at Shiro and he smiles reassuringly, letting him know he’s okay with whatever decision he makes. He looks back at Kolivan and nods, “Yeah. What’s the mission?”

As Kolivan talks, he leads Keith to the control room, “Both the Blades and Zarkon have been searching for a weapon that would give whoever finds it a huge advantage in the war. It’s the same one your mother was looking for,” he explains, “A Blade on the inside of the Empire let us locate where they’re storing intel on the weapon. We’re going to the Javeeno Star System base to hack into the mainframe. Our spy will lower the defenses to give us a window to collect the intel.”

Keith nods as he listens and follows behind Kolivan as he enters the control room, two other Blades already waiting for them. 

“You knew Regris and this is Zerok,” he gestures to the a female Galra. Keith greets her and she nods politely. 

Kolivan pulls up a map of the Javeeno base, “You’ll be entering through the fighter bay together,” he says as he focuses on the opening at the top of the base, “The goal is to get in and out with the intel undetected. You’ll be hacking into the mainframe here,” he says, gesturing to a narrow ventilation shaft marked on the map, “Keith is the only person small enough to fit so he’ll be doing that job while you two will be making sure no one notices. Hopefully the information we gather will lead us to Voltron.”

Keith nods slowly and wonders if the only reason Kolivan asked him to go on this mission is because he’s the smallest person here by far, “Voltron?” he asks curiously.

“Yes, Voltron,” Kolivan replies seriously, “It’s the weapon I was talking about. The one that could help us win this war.”

_____________________________________________________

“So what exactly is Voltron?” Keith asks after a few minutes of silence save for the ship whirring quietly.

Zerok looks up at him, leaning forward and spinning her blade in her hands, “You seriously don’t know?”

Keith glances away out of embarrassment and shakes his head, “No, where I was before...I didn’t get access to that sort of information,” he mutters.

Zerok sighs and puts her blade away, “Like Kolivan said, it’s a weapon. It was made 10,000 years ago from some special material by the Alteans, an alien race that’s long gone, wiped out by Zarkon,” she explains, “Voltron is made up of five pieces. Five, robotic lions, each piloted by a Paladin. When the Alteans knew they would lose to Zarkon, their King split up the lions and hide them so Zarkon wouldn’t be able to find them. Ever since, both us and Zarkon have been looking for it.”

Keith nods slowly, “Why is it so important?” he asks, “I mean, don’t you have other weapons?”

Zerok cocks her brow, “Well yes, but this one is the most powerful ever made. It’s made up of some special material that’s extremely rare so nothing else can destroy it.”

Keith hums in understanding and leans back, “My mom was looking for it right?” he asks after a while.

Zerok smiles faintly, “Yeah, she was. That was back when we sent scouts out to see if they’d get lucky and find something. We figured out that’s pointless though and stopped doing it. I knew your mother though,” she reminisces, “She was a good person. A good fighter. You remind me of her.”

Pride blooms in Keith’s chest and he grins widely, about to ask her to tell him more about his mother when Regris cuts him off from the pilot’s seat, “We’ll be there in under two doboshes. Get ready.”

They both stand and make sure their gear is in place, activating their masks. Keith looks out the front of the ship and watches as they approach the large base floating in space. Regris stops the ship and stands up, “Let’s board.”

Regris opens the hatch and they jump out, turning on their packs and steering their way to the fighter bay. They manage to slip inside undetected and quickly get take cover, hiding behind some storage containers. 

With the press of a button, a holographic map is displayed from the gadget around Regris’ wrist, “Alright,” he mutters as he figures out the quickest way to the shaft, “This seems to be the fastest and safest way,” he says, tracing the path with his finger.

Once they’ve all memorized path and the coast is clear, they stand and Regris leads them down the hallway, managing to avoid sentries. They find the opening to the shaft and carefully removes the grid.

“In you go,” Zerok says playfully as she looks up at Keith. 

Keith smiles at her before he pushes his way into the opening, going feet first. He plants his feet on one side of the shaft and presses his back against the other, making sure he’s steady before he starts sliding his way down. 

“You’ll see a panel in front of you soon,” Regris calls out from above, “When you find it, hack into it with the device.”

Keith looks around the walls of the shaft and spots a faint square outline. He just barely reaches it, having to completely stretch out his legs and keep his butt against the wall. Keith opens up the panel and takes out the small device, sliding it into the opening until he hears it click. He takes out the device coupled to it and holds his thumb over the pad, watching the screen flicker to life. 

Lines of coded Galra text scrolls across the screen and he quickly hacks his way into the mainframe, waiting impatiently as the device downloads all the intel they could need. He taps his fingers against his knee and grins when the device beeps. 

Keith pulls the device out of its slot and closes the panel just as he hears commotion above him, “The op is compromised!” he hears Regris shout through the com, “Abort! Back to the fighter in two doboshes!” 

Keith takes a deep breath and quickly slides down the shaft, getting out at the next possible exit. He punches the grid out and crawls out of the shaft, much to the surprise of two Galra soldiers. Keith gets to his feet as fast as he can and attacks the Galra, cutting through their blasters swiftly before landing a fatal slash to their chests. 

Keith grips his blade tightly as he runs down the hallway, the layout of the base still fresh in his mind. He makes his way up to the fighter bay, having to take down several Galra and sentries on the way. 

Once he’s in the bay, Keith activates his pack and flies up toward the exit, cursing when the alarms start to blare and the hatch slowly closes. He turns the thrusters up to full power and shoots out into space just as the hatch closes, barely making it. 

He sees the others are in front of him and just after he boards the fighter, Regris immediately flies it out of reach of the base. Keith pants heavily and sits down, taking out the device.

Once they’re safe and on course back to the Maramo headquarter, Regris stands and takes the device from Keith so he can look through the data. 

“Anything important?” he asks curiously.

Regris and stops looking through it, shutting it off for now, “We’ll need to upload it to our system to get through all this data properly,” he replies as he tucks the device safely away. 

Keith nods silently and leans his head against the wall, catching his breath as he comes down from the adrenaline high of fighting.

Once they get back to the headquarters, Keith decides to deliver the data to Kolivan with Regris, hoping to find out what information they’ve learned especially since finding Voltron is what his mother died for. 

Regris hands the device to Kolivan who uploads the data into their system. Keith watches thousands of lines of code fly past the screen, getting dizzy after a while. Kolivan starts looking through it and sighs softly, “This might take some time. You should go eat.”

Keith shakes his head, “No, I’ll wait,” he says firmly, standing besides Kolivan as he types. It takes much longer than Keith had previously thought but he refuses to leave despite the grumbling of his stomach. 

Shiro comes in after a while, having heard their mission was over, and decides to wait with him, keeping an arm wrapped around him. 

Kolivan, who’s been seemingly motionless save for his fingers this whole time, finally moves and straightens up, “There it is,” he whispers.

Keith snaps his head up and is back to full attention, his mind having wandered off, “There what is?”

“What we’ve been looking for, “Kolivan replies as he gestures to the screen which displays a long series of numbers, “This is how we will find Voltron. This frequency directly correlates to the special material Voltron is made out of.”

A wide grin spreads over Keith’s face, “When can we go?” he asks frantically, “Can we go out to find it right now?”

Kolivan shakes his head, finding Keith’s eagerness amusing, “Not anytime soon. Our analysis will decode this and once we build a proper device, we’ll be able to use this to scan for Voltron.”

Keith pouts and crosses his arms, “And how long will that take?” he asks irritated, only calming down slightly when he feels Shiro’s hand on his shoulder. 

Kolivan shrugs and sighs softly, “It’s hard to tell. I’ll let you know what progress we make but for now focus on your training and your pregnancy. It won’t be long until you should stop pushing your body too hard.”

Keith furrows his brow and looks down at his still growing belly.. He blushes when he sees Shiro’s hand reach around and touch the bump gently. 

He places his hand over Shiro’s and turns his head to peck his lips gently, “He’s right Keith,” he says quietly, “You should start taking it easy soon.”

Keith pouts playfully and sighs, “You know more than anyone I’m not one to take it easy.”

Shiro laughs softly and holds him closer, “Oh I know that all too well. Promise three months, or phoebs whatever, before the birth you’ll stop training.”

Keith narrows his eyes, “One month,” he counters, low balling Shiro since he knows he’ll definitely need to stop before then.

“How about we compromise at two months?” Shiro offers, looking at him hopefully.

“Deal,” Keith replies with a tender smile, going in to steal another quick kiss from Shiro’s lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 16 on Friday (3/9)


	16. Take it Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith continues on with his pregnancy with Shiro's support

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update; I totally forgot to update cause I was hanging out with my girlfriend and staying over night. Well, this is sort of a filler chapter but there's important stuff that happens too. It's kind of like the written version of a montage that has time skips that aren't really explicit. Enjoy! ;)

Keith makes a real effort to stick to his regular routine despite being pregnant but he isn’t able to keep it up for too long. He gets tired much easier than normal and practically doubles the amount of sleep he gets. His appetite increases too and, unlike his previous pregnancies, he has access to all the food he could need, gorging himself whenever he has cravings. 

Although he’s not surprised to find he starts developing small, puffy breasts, Shiro sure is shocked to see them when he takes off his shirt one night; he does take a liking to them, even admitting he’ll miss them when they eventually go away. Keith stops wearing the body suit around this time as well, still uncomfortable with the idea of everyone being able to see the changes he’s going through. 

Around the sixth month, when Keith’s belly is becoming uncomfortably big, he feels the first kick. Keith is laying in bed, his back aching slightly, and shifts as he tries to get comfortable when he feels the faint kick. He gasps and presses his hand against the spot, feeling the baby move again, “Shiro!” he calls out, “The baby’s moving!”

Shiro quickly dashes out of the bathroom and goes to his side, “What’s wrong?” he asks worriedly.

Keith takes Shiro’s hand and places it on his stomach, “The baby’s kicking,” he says just as he feels another kick.

Shiro gasps sharply and stares at him with wide eyes, “Oh my god,” he whispers, “I felt it! It was so strong!” he exclaims. 

Keith pulls up his loose shirt so they can watch the next kick, a small bump forming on the belly before it disappears, “There they are,” he whispers.

Shiro sits on the edge of the bed and licks his lips, “Wow,” he mutters, just now completely coming to terms with the fact that there is a living thing inside Keith that will, in a few short months, be an actual, crying, pooping baby. 

He leans forward and holds his head in his hands, “Holy shit.”

Keith tries to sit up but gives up pretty quickly, watching Shiro worriedly, “Is everything okay?” he asks.

Shiro runs his fingers through his hair, “Yeah,” he replies quietly, “Yeah,” he says again, “It’s just, I’m going to be a father. Responsible for a baby.”

Keith raises his brow and laughs softly, “Um we already kind of knew that for a while?” he says teasingly.

Shiro forces a smile and nods, “I know that but now it’s really real. Like, I can see it moving,” he tries to explain, “What if...what if I can’t take care of it? What if I’m not a good enough father?” he asks, finally letting his anxieties show.

Keith’s smile fades and he sighs softly, “What are you talking about Shiro? You’ll be a great dad.”

Shiro clasps his hands together, “I just can’t help worry. I mean, I didn’t really have a dad. My mom raised me by herself and what if I’m a bad dad because I never had one?”

Keith reaches out and takes it hand, lacing their fingers together, “Well you had a parent didn’t you? And your mom raised you well so I’m sure it won’t be a problem,” he says reassuringly, “If anything, I should be worrying since I’ve never had a family. At least, never a healthy one.”

Shiro looks at Keith and nods slowly, “I guess we’ll learn together then. And we have the Blades too.”

Keith laughs softly, the idea of Kolivan or Regris interacting with a baby seeming impossible, “Yeah, we’re just all one big family.”

_____________________________________________________

Keith scarfs down his second plate of food goo, practically inhaling it, while Shiro stares off, letting his mind wander, since he’s already done with his food. Keith finishes his meal and is about to stand up to get more when he notices Shiro’s introspective look, “What are you thinking?”

Shiro’s eyes come into focus and he looks at Keith, “Mh?” he asks, not having heard him.

“What are you thinking about?” he repeats, resting his chin on his hand with his elbow on the table.

Shiro smiles faintly and leans back in his chair, “The baby,” he replies, “I was wondering what we should name them.”

Keith’s eyes widen in realization, “Oh yeah!” he exclaims, “I hadn’t really thought about it that much.”

“Well we should come up with something soon. They’re gonna be here in just two months so we don’t have that much time.”

Still struggling with the fact that this baby he’s carrying will be coming so soon, Keith nods slowly, “I don’t really know...I don’t think I’ll be able to come up with anything good enough.”

Shiro sighs softly and crosses his arms, staring up at the ceiling for some time before he comes up with something, “How about we name them are your mom? What was her name again?”

A wide smile spreads over Keith’s lips, “Akira,” he replies happily, “Yeah, that’s a great idea!”

Shiro flushes with pride and smiles back, “Well what if it’s a boy?”

Keith furrows his brow and tilts his head, “What do you mean? All Galra names work for whatever gender. Plus sex doesn’t presents itself until puberty.”

Shiro gives him a confused look, “What do you mean?” he asks curiously, suddenly realizing that based off of what he’s seen with Keith that all Galra have the same biology; he starts to feel stupid he didn’t think about this before.

“Well all Galra have the same, you know, parts. I mean, you’ve seen mine,” Keith explains quietly, feeling embarrassed he’s saying all this in a public area, “But the sex presents itself later in life, when someone hits puberty. It’s usually determined by the build and the frame, and other indicators like the ears and smell. Some Galra are kind of in the middle and aren’t really defined as either. And then of course gender is it’s whole other thing.”

Shiro nods slowly as he absorbs all the information, “Okay...So what about pronouns and stuff? What will we call them?”

Keith chuckles softly, “You just kind of answered your own question there. We’ll just use they/them pronouns until they decide what they like. In the Galra language there’s a special set of neutral pronouns used for children before they reach puberty.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Shiro says as he cards his fingers through his hair.

“Don’t worry too much about it Shiro. It’ll work itself out with time,” Keith reassures, “But, I love the name Akira,” he adds, bringing the subject back.

Shiro smiles at that, “Yeah. Akira,” he repeats, testing the name on his tongue, “I’m sure your mother would be proud.”

_____________________________________________________

The increasing weight of Keith’s stomach starts to pose a problem, especially in the mornings. He opens his eyes and enjoys the blissful moment, the sheets soft against his body, until he tries to sit up.

Keith grunts and struggles to pull himself up, still tired, and flops back down on the mattress with a defeated sigh. He lifts his head up to look at the sheet covered bump and groans, “God, I’m gross,” he mumbles.

Shiro drapes his arms over Keith and nuzzles close to him, his eyes still closed, “You’re not gross baby. You’re a glowed, beautiful man.”

Keith chuckles weakly and leans into the embrace, reaching his hand under Shiro’s head to touch his hair, “I certainly don’t feel like that.”

Shiro opens his eyes just a crack and peers up at him, “Well I’ll make you feel beautiful,” he whispers before he presses wet kisses against his neck. 

Keith blushes deeply and tilts his head to give Shiro more room, letting out breathy sighs as he starts sucking and nibbling at his skin. He places his hand on Keith’s side and rubs gently, making his way up and slipping his hand under his shirt.

A gasp is pulled past Keith’s lips when he feels Shiro’s hand cup his sensitive breast, goosebumps rising on his skin. Shiro smirked against his neck and presses closer, his whole body against Keith’s side. 

Shiro squeezes Keith’s breast and kneads at the plump flesh. He moves his thumb over the soft skin and stops when he reaches his nipple, getting another gasp out of Keith. Shiro rubs the bud until it hardens and he starts pinching it carefully, not wanting to hurt him by accident.

Keith rubs his thighs together, already feeling himself get wet with slick, and lets out a quiet whine, “Shiro,” he draws out his name. 

Shiro lifts his head so he can look Keith in the eye and cups his face, running his thumb along his jaw, “What is it baby?”

Keith looks at him with half lidded eyes and pants softly, “I need you,” he says with a suddenly dominant tone, “Inside me. I need you to fuck me.”

Shiro’s eyes widen and he swallows down a lump in his throat, “A-are you sure?” he asks hesitantly, “I mean, we haven’t done that yet.”

Keith grabs Shiro’s arm and pulls his body up so he’s above him, immediately wrapping his legs around his waist, “I’m sure. I need you right now,” he replies just as confidently, “I want to feel what it’s supposed to be like.”

With a curt nod, Shiro leans forward, being carefully not to put pressure on Keith’s belly, and captures his lips in a deep, passionate lips. Their hands are suddenly all over each other, quickly tugging off clothes while keeping the kiss as intact as possible.

Shiro pulls back to see Keith’s completely naked form under him and feels his cock twitch at the sight, his length completely hard already. 

Keith grins wickedly at his reaction and spreads his legs, despite the dim light obscuring most of Shiro’s view of Keith he still gets a full view of his wet cunt, “Get on with it,” he growls, “I can’t wait forever.”

Shiro snaps out of his trance and moves his hand between Keith’s legs, giving a pleased hum when the man below him moans as his fingers finally rub over his folds. He teases him for a only a moment, rubbing his clit much to Keith’s pleasure.

Although he’s felt Keith’s tight heat squeezing down around his fingers before, Shiro’s still amazed by the sensation, “I’m going to open you up first,” he mutters, easily sinking one digit down to the knuckle.

Keith reaches up to grip Shiro’s shoulders and rolls his hips sensually, “Come on, I’m not going to break,” he pants.

Shiro starts thrusting his finger at a steady pace, watching Keith’s hips match his rhythm, and once he feels he’s relaxed enough, he inches in a second. His thick fingers stretch his pussy open as he scissors them slowly and Keith lets out loud moans, gripping the sheets tightly.

After a few minutes of painstakingly slow fingering and stretching, Keith has finally had enough and squirms in frustration, “Just fuck me Shiro!” he exclaims, “Or else I’ll just flip you over and take your cock myself!”

Shiro can’t help the groan that escapes his mouth and nods quickly, pulling his fingers out without hesitation and positioning himself, fumbling a bit with his cock. He doesn’t even have the time to thrust inside himself before Keith shove his hips down and forces his cock in.

Keith throws his head back and his jaw hangs open as he moans in relief, “Ah fuck yes!” cries happily, “That’s it!” 

Shiro finally loses his resolve and grabs Keith’s hips, suddenly grinding into him roughly. Keith only moans louder and tightens his legs around him, locking his ankles against the small of his back. 

Shiro leans forward as best as he can with Keith’s baby bump to get as close to him as possible, managing to kiss him. He shifts his hips after a while and hits Keith’s sweet spot by chance, hearing the other cry out erotically, “R-right there!” he shouts, “Again!”

Obeying Keith’s wishes, Shiro keeps aiming for the same spot, drawing out a loud moan from his partner each time. He grunts as he picks up the pace, snapping his hips forward, and the room fills with the sound of the bed creaking and lewd squelching noises. 

Keith arches his back and his cries crescendo as his orgasm approaches, “Ah! Ah! Give it to me! Harder!” he practically screams. Even though they’re both sure half the base can hear them, they keep going at it, pushing each other to the edge.

Soon enough, one of them is pushed over and Keith goes first. He lets out a silent scream and his cunt clenches around Shiro as he squirts over his cock, waves of intense pleasure numbing all his other senses. 

Shiro follows soon after, the sight and the sounds and the sudden tightness quickly becoming too much. He gives a few more thrusts and buries himself deep inside of Keith, coming with a moan of his lover’s name. They both ride out their orgasm and cling onto each other, their bodies a sweaty, trembling mess.

Once Shiro feels his cock start to soften he pulls out of Keith with a groan, getting a quick look at his cum dripping out of him before he lays down. Keith catches his breath and slowly stretches out his legs, his limbs feeling like jelly.

Shiro rolls over onto his side to face him and grins, propping his head up with his hand, “So, do you feel beautiful now?”

Keith laughs weakly, his throat sore from all the screaming he did, and presses close to Shiro, tucking himself against him, “You sure helped,” he mutters against his skin.

Keith walks with a slight limp for the rest of the day and the two of them try to ignore the knowing looks they get for a whole week after that morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 17 on Tuesday (3/13)


	17. The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a few months, Keith is ready to bring his child into the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I decided to update early because chapter 16 was late. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I did have to do a considerable amount of research for it and this arc in general so I hope it's accurate (if there's mistakes I'll chalk it up to Keith being an alien lol). I hope you enjoy it!

The days leading up to Keith’s estimated due date are spent in tense relaxation. Shiro gets Kolivan’s permission to pause his training and missions until a few days after the birth and focuses completely on caring for Keith. He brings him his meals since he’s too tired to want to do it himself and works him through his anxieties. 

Shiro decides to run Keith a bath at one point, hoping it’ll help sooth him. He makes sure everything is perfect before helping Keith into the bath. Shiro lathers his hands with soap and washes every part of Keith’s body, smiling as he runs his hand over his large belly. 

He helps Keith lay down and wets his hair, combing his fingers through the strands and carefully working out the knots. He washes his hair as well and massages his scalp, doing his pointed ears just for fun.

Keith’s closed eyes squeeze tight and his fingers grip the edge of the bath as he tenses, letting out a pained groan.

Shiro pauses the scrubbing and his heart jumps in his chest, “What’s wrong?” he asks, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible since he doesn’t want to freak Keith out, “Is it starting?”

Keith gives a slight nod and lets out a shaky breath, relaxing after a few more seconds, “Yeah,” he mutters, “Just a small contraction,” he replies as he opens his eyes.

“Okay,” Shiro says, managing to control his reaction, “We should go to the medical bay then.” 

As he stands up, Keith grabs his arm gently, “Not yet. I’m just starting labor. It could be hours until I need to start pushing, okay?”

Shiro is about to protest but realizes this is really about Keith and he should be the one to make the decisions. He sits back down slowly and smiles nervously, “Okay, if that’s what you think is the right thing to do.”

“Don’t worry too much yet,” Keith reassures him, finding it amusing that Shiro is the one needing comforting, “I’ve gone through this before and I’ll know when it’s time to go. I promise I won’t wait too long.” 

Keith tilts his head back so his head is in the water, “Now get back to it,” he orders playfully.

Shiro manages a laugh and keeps massaging Keith’s head and hair, rinsing away the shampoo, “Whatever you need, my love.”

After a few more contractions, Shiro realizes they’re just minor and starts to calm down a bit, seeing they only last for half a minute at most and that Keith doesn’t seem to be in too much pain yet. Shiro encourages him to talk through his contractions, having read that that helps, and has him sit up once he’s done washing his hair. Wanting to keep Keith distracted, he decides to massage his feet next, working the ankle and heel first before making his way down.

“Mh I wanna get out,” Keith mumbles after a while, “I’m getting all pruney,” he adds, holding his hand up to look at all the wrinkles on his fingertips. 

Shiro smiles and helps Keith out of the bath, using a fluffy towel to dry him off. Keith just puts on a bathrobe, not bothering with actual clothes, and waddles slightly as he walks back into the bedroom.

With a bit of manoeuvring and some struggle, Keith gets on the bed and props himself up with a few pillows. Shiro takes his hand in his and holds up his tablet so they can read together. 

Every five minutes of so, Keith squeezes Shiro’s hand hard and groans, trying his best to keep up his breathing steady as he rides out his contraction. They hold each other and cuddle for a good hour or so, Keith gets used to the contractions which aren't painful just yet, only uncomfortable. 

He gets hungry after a while and they decide to take a walk around since it’s good for Keith to move before heading to the canteen. The room is empty so Keith doesn’t have to feel self conscious about being in labor and eats a small meal. They head back to the room and while they’re laying together, Keith’s water breaks. He changes into his sleeping clothes and doesn’t make a big deal about it, unlike his partner. 

Shiro brings up the issue of going to the medical bay again but Keith insists it’s not time yet, urging Shiro to trust him on this. Shiro agrees reluctantly and they continue relaxing together. He didn’t realize how much of this would just be waiting and it’s starting to get on his nerves but he forces himself to ignore it, for Keith’s sake. 

The contractions are still minor and Keith ends up dozing off, leaning his head against the other’s shoulder as he snores quietly. Shiro looks down at him and raises his brow, smiling tenderly at how cute he is. He sighs softly and guesses it’s okay for Keith to sleep since he’s sure to wake up when the labor starts to get painful. 

Shiro slips out of bed carefully and joins him again once he’s ready to sleep. He lays down and wraps his arms around Keith, smiling when he nuzzles closer to him. Shiro sighs softly and places his hand on Keith’s belly, letting his eyes close. 

The couple sleep in until late morning when Keith wakes up from an aching pain in his lower abdomen, waves of tight pain causing him to groan and gasp out. It lasts for about a minute and he lets out a loud sigh once the pain fades and his muscles relax. 

Keith looks up at Shiro and grabs onto his shoulder, giving a quick shake, “Wake up,” he calls out.

Shiro opens his eyes and takes a moment to wake up completely, “What’s going on? Are you okay?” he asks worriedly, quickly remembering that Keith is in labor.

“I’m okay but we need to go to the medical bay now,” Keith says as he sits up slowly, “I can feel it’s time.”

Shiro’s eyes widen and he practically leaps out of bed, “Okay!” he exclaims, “Let’s go.” He helps Keith up and grabs a few things before walking him out into the hallway. They’re almost at the medical bay when Keith has to stop walking, another contraction overwhelming him. 

Keith squeezes his eyes tightly and grips Shiro’s hand hard, “Ah God,” he moans, “That hurts like a son of a bitch,” he curses. 

“You can do it baby,” Shiro soothes him, rubbing his back gently, “Breathe through it.”

Keith nods and focuses on his breathing, rocking back and forth in an attempt to calm himself. He releases a deep breath and opens his eyes once it’s okay, “Okay, I’m good,” he mutters, “Let’s keep going.”

They finally arrive in the medical bay and Hazor and a few doctors are ready to take them in. Keith is brought to a private area with curtains and changes into a thin robe before getting on the bed. Hazor drapes a blanket over his lower half and helps him prop up his feet on the stirrups so his legs are comfortably spread.

Keith feels a bit uncomfortable when the doctor leans down, inspecting his genitalia, but tries his best to ignore it, “You’ll need a bit more time before the birthing actually starts. It’ll take at least a few hours,” she explains, straightening back up, “You can lay down normally and let me know right away when there’s no pause between contractions. If you need pain relief, we can give you drugs that will numb everything without affecting your birth at all.”

Keith nods slowly and groans as another contraction takes over, his whole body tensing, “Yeah okay, I’ll have that now please,” he says firmly, having a hard time talking, “Right now.”

Hazor raises her brow and nods, getting the shot ready, “Most of the time, people wait a while,” she comments.

Keith moans in pain and almost lets out a growl, his ears pressed against his head, “I gave birth twice with very little help and no medicine. No way I’m going through that shit again.”

Shiro presses his lips together and rubs his thumb over Keith’s knuckles, not having thought much about what his previous birthings must have been like. 

Hazor decides to drop the subject and injects him with the medicine, “It should take a few doboshes to take full effect,” she explains, “I’ll check on you regularly to see how everything is progressing. For now, just relax and let any of us know if you need anything.”

Keith thanks her and she leaves them be, closing the curtain behind her to give them privacy. He moves his feet from the stirrups and lays his legs down normally. Keith has to deal with one more contraction until the drugs take effect, sighing in relief when his lower half numbs. 

Shiro smiles when he sees Keith visibly relax and holds his hand, “How you feeling?”

“Better,” Keith replies, resting his head back against the pillow, “It doesn’t hurt anymore,” he adds, remembering the pain from his previous births. He pretty much gave birth alone in his dimly lit cell, only joined by a doctor right at the end. The room stank of sweat and blood for days afterwards and Keith remembers using his last bit of strength to lift his head so he could see his child, only to watch the doctor leaving with it in his arms. 

Feeling a squeeze of his hand, Keith is pulled back into reality and looks up at Shiro who’s giving him a worried look, “I’m okay,” he replies quietly. 

Shiro nods and scoots closer to Keith, wanting to be with him every step on the way. The next several hours are just as boring as the beginning of the labor and Keith drifts in and out of sleep. When he is awake, Shiro talks with him and does his best to keep him occupied, knowing his mind could slip into dark places at a time like this.

Contractions come every few minutes but Keith barely feels them, only sensing the tightness in his abdomen as his muscles clench. Hazor checks on him a couple of times every hour, making sure he’s feeling okay and having him prop his legs up. She lets him know he’s dialating normally and doing well, encouraging to keep it up. 

Keith’s labor is a breeze compared to the other times and he mostly wants to get it over with, tired of being so large and not being able to be as active as he’d like to be. They both lose track of time, the day seeming to draw on forever, but after what seems like the hundredth check up, Hazor declares that he’s ready to push.

They suddenly get excited and anxious, Keith sitting up slightly and sighing shakily. Hazor smiles at him gently and sits between his legs, “Just stay calm. You only have an hour left or so. You’re almost there,” she says, “Just push when you have an urge to push. Follow your body’s instincts.” 

Keith does his best to tune in with his body, feeling his painless contraction come and grunting as he pushes at its peak, “That’s very good,” Hazor tells him once that contraction finishes, another one coming soon after, “Just keep going just like that.” Shiro wipes the sweat from Keith’s forehead and smiles softly, “You’re doing great, it’ll be okay soon.” 

Contraction after contraction, Keith pushes and starts to feel a burning sensation down there, knowing well enough it’s the head pushing through. He pants heavily and groans in pain at the next push, the drugs only able to do so much while still making sure he can feel the contractions so he can push properly.

Hazor moves her hands down, preparing for the birth, “There we go. The head is almost out. Only a few more pushes.”

Shiro looks at Keith’s face and combs his fingers through his hair, “You can do it darling. It’s almost over,” he encourages. Keith smiles at him tiredly and nods, his torso lifting off the bed slightly as he clenches his abdominal muscles, giving a hard push.

“Oh fuck,” Keith curses when he feels the baby push out the rest of the way, the sound of crying filling his ears. He sighs in relief as he collapses against the bed. 

Shiro’s eyes widen as he watches Hazor lift the baby up from under thin blanket, having a towel ready to clean them off. The infant cries loudly and their arms flail around slightly. They’re very obviously Galra with a deep shade of purple skin and large fluffy ears. Hazor cleans off the bit of blood and fluids on the child and immediately hands them to Keith.

Keith gasps sharply at the sight, his tears welling up with tears, “I..I finally get to see them,” he whispers as he takes the baby into his arms. Shiro helps him sit up and stares down at the crying baby, in shock. 

“Shh, it’s okay Akira,” Keith whispers, rubbing their stomach gently, “Are you hungry?” he asks as he tugs down the special flap on his robe, revealing his breast. He brings Akira up to his nipple and after a bit of searching, they latch onto it and start drinking hungrily. Keith smiles tiredly and rests his head against the pillow, “Thank God it’s over.”

Shiro lets out a shaky breath, “Yeah, but you could say this is just the beginning.”

Keith chuckles weakly and looks down at Akira, frowning slightly when he recognizes the large ears and certain facial features, “They kind of look like-”

“You,” Shiro interrupts, “They look like you,” he says firmly, “As far as I’m concerned, you’re the only parent that matters.”

Even though Keith understands and appreciates what Shiro is trying to do, he’ll never be able to unsee Throvok’s features in his child, “That’s sweet but...just look at them. They barely look like me.”

Akira stops drinking and rests their head against Keith’s chest, their eyes opening slowly. Shiro smiles when he sees their eyes, they’re not yellow but grey, like Keith’s, “They have your eyes. Your gorgeous eyes.”

Keith’s expression softens and he nods slowly, gently caresses their fluffy ears, “And my button nose too,” he says, touching their nose and laughing when Akira wrinkles it and gargles.

“And your hands,” Shiro adds, “They do need to do some growing though,” he says, touching Akira’s tiny, human hands that lack any sort of claws. 

Keith chuckles softly and brings Akira up to his shoulder, patting their back gently and burping them, “They’re so small,” he whispers, “and so fragile,” he adds, his voice hinting worry.

Shrio wraps his arm around Keith and nuzzles against him, smiling when he hears Akira give a little burp, “We’ll protect them. Every way we can. And they have a chance to grow up free, as free as you really can be,” he muses, “But we’ll give them the best chance at a happy life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 18 on Friday (3/16)


	18. Parenting is a Full Time Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro adjust to having a new family member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This chapter is pretty fluffy in preparation for the super angsty chapter that's going to follow. Enjoy the happy times while you can!

Keith and Shiro stay in the medical bay for the night and the next day so Keith can rest and so they can enjoy the convenience of having everything brought to them. As instructed, everyone expect the doctors stay away for the first day since they want time alone with Akira and Keith doesn’t feel he’ll be ready to deal with other people just yet. 

Unsurprisingly, Akira starts crying in the middle of the night, waking the both of them up. Keith fumbles with the flap on his robe before opening it and brings Akira up to his breast, letting them drink. Shiro rubs his eyes and yawns softly, “Everything okay?” he mutters. 

Keith smiles at him through the darkness and nods, “Yeah, they were just hungry.” Shiro nods and leans back in the chair, the bed not being big enough for the two of them. Keith dozes off while Akira is still drinking and Shiro buttons him up once they’re done. 

Shiro takes Akira into his arms when he notices the baby isn’t going back to sleep and burps them carefully, copying what Keith did early. He cradles the infant, being cautious of their head, and smiles down at them, “Hey Akira,” he whispers, “I’m your Papa.”

Akira stares up at him with wide, curious eyes and gargles, spit building up and dribbling down their chin. Shiro wipes it off and rocks them gently, humming a quiet tune, “You’re such an adorable baby, the most perfect one I’ve ever seen.”

Eventually, Akira’s eyelids start to droop and they fall asleep. Shiro looks over them for a while, watching their small chest rise and fall slowly. He makes sure Akira is secure in his arms before trying to get some more sleep himself before morning.

When Keith wakes up he panics for a few seconds before he sees Akira in Shiro’s arms, sighing in relief and smiling. He relaxes against the bed and watches the two of them sleep, not wanting to disturb them. 

Shiro’s eyes flutter open after a while and he smiles when Keith comes into focus, “Good morning darling,” he greets him as he sits up. 

“Morning,” he says with a smile, “Can I hold Akira? I kinda miss them.”

Shiro chuckles and stands up, carefully handing him the baby. Keith holds Akira close to his chest and rocks them gently. He notices the curtain surrounding their area move slightly and then hears a voice call out, “It’s Regris and Kolivan. Is this a good time?”

“Yes, you can come in,” Keith calls out, the curtain opening to reveal the two of them after a moment. 

Regris smiles faintly as he approaches, looking down at the baby, “They’re beautiful,” he says, holding out a plain box, “Here, it’s a gift for them.”

Keith thanks him and accepts the box, taking off the cover. He takes out the first piece of clothing inside, noticing there's a couple, and grins when he realizes it’s a onesie designed to look like the Blade of Marmora suit, expect it’s made from a much softer material. “Oh wow, this is perfect. It’s adorable,” he says happily, looking back up at Regris, “Thank you.”

Regris rubs the back of his neck and smiles, “I’m glad you like it. The rest are other clothes for them.”

Kolivan gives Keith his own gift, it being a few baby bottles, some toys and a small, rather dull knife. Keith raises his brow at the sight of the knife and can’t help laugh, “Um...”

“That’s for when they’re older,” Kolivan explains, “At least when they’re old enough to hold things properly. You can never start training too early.”

Keith takes a deep breath and sets the knife back in the box, “Of course. Thank you, this was very nice.”

Kolivan hums contently and looks down at the baby, who’s awake now and looking up at the strangers curiously, “So, what name did you chose?”

“I named them after my mom,” Keith replies proudly, “Akira.”

The man’s breath hitches and he actually smiles, something neither of them have seen before, “That’s...That’s wonderful,” he says, “They’ll be a great namesake to her. I’m sure your mother would be proud.”

Keith looks down at Akira and pushes their soft tufts of hair back, caressing their ears, which are comically large for their small body, “Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake by naming them after my mom.”

Kolivan presses his lips together and frowns slightly, “Why? Is it because-”

“Yeah,” Keith cuts him off, “I’m not sure my mother would be happy if she found out I named a baby who was conceived through rape after her. I mean, who would want that?” he mumbles, “Half of them comes from a monster.”

The way Shiro sighs and looks at Keith tells Kolivan this isn’t the first time this topic has been brought up, “I knew your mother so I can tell you definitely she would have been proud to have her name passed down to her grandchild,” he says firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder, “And it doesn’t matter what genetics Akira has. According to me, you’re their only parent and the way you raise them is what matters.”

Keith doesn’t seem completely convinced but nods anyways, “Okay, if that’s what you think my mom would have thought. 

Clearing his throat, Kolivan decides to change the subject, “I’d suggest you take a few quintants to rest and recover but you can get back to training. Take all the time you need,” he says, “While you’re busy training you can keep Akira in the room with you if you’d like or someone else can take care of them.”

“That sounds good. I don’t want to leave them for such a long time with someone else,” Keith replies, “And when I’m on missions Shiro will look after them of course.”

“We’ll try our best to make sure both of you aren’t gone at the same time,” Kolivan adds and notices Akira nuzzling their face against Keith’s breast, whining quietly, “Well we should be going now,” he says, unsure if Keith would be comfortable breastfeeding in public like most Galra are. 

Keith smiles and says goodbye before they leave, thanking them again for the gifts. Shiro picks up the Marmora onesie and grins as he holds it out, “Do you wanna put it on them?”

Keith chuckles in agreement and unwraps Akira from their blanket, accepting the onesie from Shiro and dressing them in it, “It’s even cuter on them,” he says, pulling up the little hood.

Akira gargles happily, seeming to like the new clothing, and soon goes back to trying to get to Keith’s breast. He pulls down the flap and lets Akira drink, rubbing their back gently. 

The couple get a few visitors throughout the day, most of them bringing practical gifts, like toys or clothing. Around the lunchtime, Keith gets tired laying down and being stuck in the small space and decides it’s time for them to bring Akira home. 

Even though there’s a crib ready for Akira, Keith is too attached to let them go just yet. He lays down in their bed and places Akira between the two of them. Keith faces the baby and watches over them protectively, playing with their hair gently.

Shiro smiles at the sight and lays down on the other side of Akira, “You’ve gotten very fond of them already,” he comments.

Keith nods seriously, “Yes, it’s my job to protect them,” he says, “I’m going to do what I couldn’t for the others.”

Shiro presses his lips together and sighs, “You think about them a lot, don’t you?”

Keith glances up at him, “Of course. How could I not think about them? My first baby would be about four by now, if they’re still alive.”

“You know, you could ask Kolivan to look around for them,” Shiro suggests.

“I already did,” Keith replies with a shake of his head, “He tried but there’s pretty much nothing to go on expect when they were born and their connection to me. I don’t know what their names are now or what happened so, there’s no chance of finding them.”

Shiro doesn’t know how to respond and simply scoots closer to Keith, reaching out and rubbing his side gently. Keith sighs shakily and looks back down at Akira, “That’s why this one is so important. They’re the only one I get to raise and I’m going to get it right.”

Shiro admires Keith’s determination as always and smiles proudly, “You’ll do great. And I’ll always be here to help.”

_____________________________________________________

The piercing crying and wailing fill the room and Keith and Shiro’s ears ache, neither of them knowing what to do to comfort Akira. The baby squirms unhappily and flails their arms, making it hard for Keith to hold them properly.

“They won’t stop crying,” Keith mumbles the obvious, his body heavy from a lack of sleep, “Still not hungry,” he adds when Akira shrugs away his nipple for the third time. 

Shiro runs his fingers through his hair and lets out a sigh of frustration, “You’re sure the diaper is clean?”

Keith checks the diaper and nods, “Yeah it’s clean. I mean, we changed it when they started crying but I don’t know what else they want” he says, repositioning Akira so they’re sitting on his knee. 

He bounces them gently and coos at them, “Shh baby, it’s okay. Please don’t cry,” he whispers, unsure what else there is to do. Nothing seems to help and Akira just wails louder, “What do you want baby? You’re not hungry and I burped you and I don’t think you’re too hot or cold or anything.”

Keith hates to see Akira so upset, tears streaming down their cheeks and snot covering their upper lip, and he starts to get frustrated that nothing is working. When Shiro offers to take the baby, he quickly complies. Shiro frowns slightly when Akira shrugs away from his touch, not seeing to want to be held at the moment.

“Oh, I think I know what’s wrong,” he says, standing up off the bed and laying Akira in the crib. At first, the baby keeps crying and Keith opens his mouth to ask him what he’s doing when Shiro gestures for him to be quiet. 

Keith frowns slightly and shuts his mouth, watching in shock as Akira calms down. The baby stops crying and relaxes in their crib, closing their eyes and promptly falling asleep.

“What...What just happened?” Keith asks, confused.

Shiro rubs the back of his neck and smiles, “Well sometimes babies get overwhelmed by everything that’s going on around them and I figured Akira was getting annoyed with all the talking and touching.”

Keith furrows his brow and frowns deeper, “Oh, okay,” he mutters, upset he wasn’t able to sense his child’s needs himself.

Shiro yawns loudly and crawls back into bed, sighing in relief. He looks up at Keith and hums, “Why do you look so upset? We can go to sleep now. We figured it out”

Keith clasps his hands together and stares down at them, “Well, you figured it out.”

“I guess, but that doesn’t matter,” Shiro says as he sits up, “Is that why you’re upset?”

Keith shrugs a bit and doesn’t meet Shiro’s gaze, “Yes. I should have figured it out too. I was the one making Akira cry.”

Shiro sighs at that and scoots closer, wrapping his arms around Keith from behind, “Darling you’re being too hard on yourself,” he says as he nuzzles against him. 

“I promised I’d protect them and I was the problem here,” he says quietly, “Thankfully you knew what to do.”

Shiro holds Keith closer and rocks him gently from side to side, “The only reason I knew what to do is because I’ve taken care of other people’s kids before. You’ve never had experience with children so it makes sense you wouldn't know what to do,” he reassures him, “Plus, parenting is easier with two people. You don’t have to do it alone.”

Keith sniffles and wipes his face, turning away from Shiro so he can’t see, “I know you want to make up for what happened to the others but you can’t put that much pressure on yourself,” Shiro adds, seeming to read his mind.

“Okay,” Keith mumbles after a moment, “Thank you,” he adds, turning around and hugging Shiro quickly.

Shiro sighs softly and pets his hair, scratching behind his ears, “Now, how about we go to bed?” He feels Keith nod against his chest and lays back, plopping down against the mattress. Shiro pulls the sheets over their bodies, not letting go of Keith, and they fall asleep like that, holding each other protectively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 19 on Tuesday (3/20)


	19. Revenge isn’t as Sweet as You Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a mission, Keith comes face to face with his past trauma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ay bois! I was pumped to be posting this chapter because it's one of my favorites and if you thought the angst was over in this fic, well, you were wrong. Have fun! I can't wait to hear what you think >:D

Within two weeks, Keith and Shiro are comfortable enough with their ability to take care of Akira to return to training. Although they were both working out to prevent their bodies from weakening more than they already have, and for Keith to build back his strength, they finally re-adopt their full training regimen. Their demanding routine doesn’t stop Keith from taking Akira with him, easily bringing their hovering crib along with a few supplies everywhere they go. To make this easier for them, Keith has started using a breast pump and they just use bottles, giving Shiro the chance to feed their child as well. 

Shiro rocks Akira in his arms as he feeds them with a bottle, watching them suckle happily. The baby has become accustomed to the noises of the training room and doesn’t mind the slashing of blades and the contrast shouting and grunting. Shiro looks up at Keith and smiles widely as he watches him fight Regris, pride swelling in his chest when he thinks about how much he’s grown. 

“Look at your Dad,” Shiro coos, tilting Akira slightly so they can see Keith fighting, “He’s so strong and will protect you from anything.”

Akira stares at Keith with wide eyes and flails their arms when they recognize him, their hands making a grabbing gesture. Shiro chuckles at that, “Yeah, that’s your Dad. He’ll come to see you when he’s done.”

Shiro catches movement out of the corner of his eye and turns to see Kolivan stepping inside the training room, heading straight towards Keith. When he calls out to him, him and Regris pause their fighting. Shiro watches curiously while Kolivan talks to Keith for a few minutes, the conversation seemed serious from their facial expressions. 

Once they’re done, Kolivan heads back out and Shiro makes eye contact with Keith, gesturing for him to come over, curious as to what that was about. 

“What did Kolivan want?” he asks once Keith is close enough.

“He was looking for someone to go on a mission tomorrow and wanted to see if I was up for it,” Keith explains, “I decided I’m ready. I’m back to where I was before the pregnancy and I miss the missions.”

Shiro smiles proudly and nods, “I think it’s a good idea too. I’ll take care of Akira while you’re gone. Just stay safe, okay?”

Keith looks down at Akira and chuckles when they gargle happily, “Of course. Now I have twice as many reasons to come back in one piece,” he says, picking Akira up out of Shiro’s arms.

“Hey sweetheart,” he coos at the baby, using a gentle, kind voice only meant for his child, “Did you miss me?” Akira kicks their legs out and presses close against Keith’s chest, comforted by his scent, “I’m guessing that’s a ‘yes.’ I’ll always come back darling.”

Early the next morning, Keith reports to the control room like Kolivan told him to, Antok, Zerok and another Blade member he doesn’t know by name joining him.

“Since we’re all here, let’s begin,” Kolivan says as he pulls up the typical map of the known universe they use, “Our goal is to take control of a large cargo ship that’s scheduled to transport its supplies, which includes a large quantity of quintessence and a group of prisoners, from Balmera J-48-Vox to the Central Commander Ship.”

“You’ll need to take down the Galran soldiers inside the control room before disabling the defense system,” he continues to explain, “Then you'll bring the quintessence onto your ship and return the prisoners to the nearest free planet, which would be Planet F-59-Vox. Antok will be leading this op. Does everyone understand the mission?”

Keith nods in sync with the rest of the team and they quickly get ready before heading to the fighter bay. They use one of their larger ships, needing space for quintessence and the prisoners. Once they’re all inside, Antok starts the fighter and flies out of the open hatch above them, setting a course for the estimated location of the cargo ship. 

Antok puts the fighter on auto pilot, having it follow the course, as he can lay out everyone’s role. He explains that Keith will be paired with him since he and the other Blade Keith still doesn’t know the name of are still in training. They’ll be going in first to take on the Galra soldiers and disable the system while the other pair board. Once the system is down, they’ll all work to get the prisoners freed and on the their ship before moving onto the quintessence. If all goes smoothly, they’ll get in and out without getting the alarm raised and no one will know what happened until a few hours later. 

It takes them about ten doboshes to get there, the cargo ship rather far away from the Marmora base. Antok stops the fighter when the ship is in sight and they prepare to board. The hatch opens and Keith and Antok jump out, turning on their packs and making their way towards the ship.

Antok takes the lead, bringing them to one of the openings meant to discharge trash into space. They make their way through, avoiding rumble, and find a way onto the main floor. Keith takes out his blade and checks their surroundings, making sure there aren’t any sentries coming, before they head down the hallway. 

Antok and Keith have been on enough mission together to be able to work together without needing to talk too much, their signals and body language enough. Thanks to the blueprints acquired through an intel collecting op, the path to the control room is rather easy. 

Antok presses his back against the wall and quickly checks around the corner, only for a split second but long enough to count the number of Galra inside, “Four,” he whispers to Keith, “Go for the ones nearest to the control panels first. On my go.”

Keith nods curtly and readies himself, blood rushing through his ears. On Antok’s signal, they rush around the corner and burst into the control room. Before the Galra inside even have time to react, they each attacked one of them. Keith grunts as he slashes the first one’s blaster and thrusts his blade into the second’s one abdomen, piercing through his armor and into his stomach. 

He pulls the blade out with a grunt and sees Antok has already taken care of his two, the Blade working on disabling the system and trusting Keith to finish the job. The last Galra has had already time to recover from his attack and, without a weapon, resorts to striking Keith in the side of his head. 

The Galra lunges forward to sound the alarm but Keith catches him just in time, grabbing his arm and throwing him across the room. The hit to the side of his head ended up disabling his mask, making his face visabally, but he doesn’t think too much of it. 

Keith makes a run toward the Galra, tightly gripping his blade, but stops dead in his tracks when he recognizes his face. Although he can’t count the number of men who hurt him during his time as Zarkon’s pet, he certainly knows all their faces. Keith’s whole world stops around him and he nearly drops his blade, his gut clenches painfully when recognition spreads over the Galra’s face as well, his lips curling into a wicked smile. 

“I didn’t expect to ever see you again, whore” he muses as he gets to his feet, “I did hear you escaped but I’m sure you’re still taking just as much Galra cock.” 

The man locks eyes with him and Keith whimpers, unable to move his muscles, “I’m sure Zarkon would reward me with a night with you after I bring you back,” he purrs before he turns his attention to Antok, who’s still furiously working on getting into the system, not having time to focus on anything else.

The moment Keith realizes his friend is in trouble, he snaps out of it and lunges forward, a burst of rage clouding his mind. He grabs the Galra’s shoulder and pulls him back roughly, causing him to stumble. 

Keith delivers a swift punch to the jaw, completely knocking him off balance. The Galra tries to get up but Keith is already on him, screaming out his anger as he slashes his blade across his chest. 

The man cries out in pain, the wound cutting into his armor and his flesh, deep enough to make him bleed heavily but not to kill him. Keith straddles him and lifts his blade up, savoring the fearfully look in his eyes, before bringing it back down, stabbing him right in the collarbone and severing the artery running down to his shoulder and arm.

“How could you do that to me?!” Keith screams with the stab, pulling the blade out before he stabs him again. The Galra cries get weaker and by the third stab he’s dead, having bleed out.

“You monster!” yells angrily, not noticing the tears streaming down his face, with the next stab. Keith keeps screaming, his throat aching, with each stab to the Galra’s torso, the body limp and lifeless. His hands and parts of his suit are covered in blood, a puddle formed on the ground under him. 

Antok rushes over to him and hooks his arms under his armpits, steering clear of the blade as he drags him off the body. Keith curses at Antok and struggles against him, squirming as he tries to get to the Galra, “Let go of me!” he screeches, “He has to pay for what he did!” 

Keith isn’t lucid enough to keep Antok from disarming him, the blade clattering to the floor, and once he’s finished screaming, a broken sob rips through him. Antok lets go of Keith’s body and kneels in front of him, “Keith, it’s okay. Look, he’s dead,” he says, moving aside so he can see.

Keith pants hard and sits up slowly, getting a good look of the dead Galra. The corpse’s torso and face are completely mutilated, blood still flowing from the wounds, with slashes cutting deep into the body. “He’s dead,” he whispers, somehow feeling worse instead of better. 

Antok finally replies to the rest of the team, who’ve been asking what’s going on through the intercom, “There’s been an incident. Keith’s out of commission for now,” he replies, “Go ahead with the plan. I’ll join you as soon as possible.”

Antok can’t help feel pity for Keith but he’s dedicated to follow the protocol, “You’re not fit to continue the mission. Go back onto the fighter and wait there.”

Keith furrows his brow and looks up at him, blood spatter still on his face, “W-what?” he chokes out, “No! I’m fine! I can keep going!” he lies, his body trembling and his knees weak.

“That’s an order,” Antok says firmly, “You could compromise the mission with the state you’re in. Go back at once.” 

Keith opens his mouth to say something back but closes it, swallowing his words. He nods curtly and they make their way back down the hallway, not needing to worry about being attacked, and Antok pulls away, heading in a different direction.

Keith watches him go and sighs shakily, cursing himself mentally for having messed up his first mission in such a long time. He’s still shaken up and tries his best to steady his breathing, pressing two fingers against his neck and feeling his pulse, the rhythm erratic. 

Images of the Galra’s grin and his bleeding body flash through his mind, reminders of the pain he suffered in a ship that looked much like this one flooding in. Keith’s steps quicken, wanting to get away from this place, and he rushes to the exit. He lets out a sigh of relief when he’s finally flying into the strangely comforting void of space. 

By the time Keith arrives to the fighter, Zerok is leaving, having dropped of a large container of quintessence. She gives him a curious yet worried look and he turns his gaze away quickly, not at all interested in telling her what happened. Keith retreats to an isolated corner on the fighter and curls up, wrapping his arms around himself as he tries to ignore the feeling of dirtiness that washes over him.

It doesn’t help that the rest of the team is still working, bringing in more vessels before taking the freed prisoners in; he only feels more useless just sitting there while everyone else has a job. Keith doesn’t dare look at the former prisoners, afraid he’ll recognize the same look in their eyes he used to have. He can’t bear to think some of them have suffered similar ordeals. 

Keith stays in his spot while they fly to the nearest freed planet, deliver the freed prisoners to the safety of the inhabitants before heading back to the base. Antok approaches him at some point and sighs when he doesn’t look up, his huge body dwarfing Keith’s, “I’ll need to tell Kolvain about this. It’s important for me to report incidents like this.” 

Squeezing his fists tighter, Keith nods slowly, “I understand,” he mumbles, his voice empty of emotion, “Do you think I’ll be punished in some way?” he asks after a moment, uncomfortable using that particular word.

“I can’t say,” Antok replies, “It’s for him to decide but since you didn’t comprise the mission, there’s a chance he won’t,” he pauses for a while, “He was one of them, wasn’t he? The men who hurt you?”

Keith presses his lips together and clenches his jaw, his teeth grinding together, “Yeah,” he growls, “I saw his face and I...I just snapped.”

Antok takes in a deep breath and exhales slowly, “I’ll tell him that too. I don’t blame you for what happened back there. You had every right to be angry,” he says, doing his best to comfort Keith. 

Keith stays silent for the rest of the trip back and is the last out of the fighter, “I’ll find Kolivan. Go the canteen and we’ll meet you there to talk,” Antok tells him quickly before leaving. Keith sighs softly and makes his way to the canteen, still thinking about the dead Galra but in the back of his mind he wonders how Shiro and Akira are doing. 

He sits at the edge of the table and eats his meal halfheartedly, pushing the food goo around his tray, while he waits, the canteen being almost empty. Eventually, Kolivan and Antok join him and Keith straightens up, setting his spoon down.

Kolivan holds his hands behind his back and Keith holds his breath, waiting for him to speak, “Antok informed me of what happened and I’ve decided not to take any further action at this time. I understand why you reacted the way you did so we’ll let this one go but if anything similar happens we’ll have to suspend you from missions until further notice.”

Keith lets out a sigh of relief and nods slowly, “Okay, thank you. It won’t happen again,” he replies even though he can’t promise that, he just hopes he doesn’t encounter anyone he recognizes again. 

The two of them leave and Keith is left alone. He throws away the rest of his food since he wasn’t really hungry anyways, too distraught to eat. He sits there in silence before working up the courage to go back to his room, knowing he’ll have to explain to Shiro what happened since he’s sure to notice something’s up.

The moment Keith walks inside, Shiro picks up that something is wrong and frowns slightly, “How’d the mission go?” he asks, gently rocking Akira’s crib back and forth. 

Keith looks down and sits down on the bed, “I mean, it succeeded but I...I fucked up,” he mumbles, clasping his hands together. 

Shiro stops rocking the crib and makes sure that Akira is sleeping well before he joins Keith on the bed, “Do you wanna talk about what happened?” he asks as he wraps one arm around him. 

Keith eagerly accepts the touch and leans against him, resting his head on his shoulder, “I guess I should,” he says with a sigh, “I was busy killing this Galra soldier and a second one hit me on the side of the head and my mask turned off. So, I turn around and I...and I saw his face,” he explains, his voice quieting down to a whisper. 

Shiro hums softly and rubs small circles into his back, trying to keep Keith calm before he starts to panic, “I recognized him right away a-and all the things he did to me just came back,” he says, guessing Shiro will understand what he means without him needing to actually say it.

“He recognized me too and said some insulting shit, I don’t wanna repeat it, and I just lost it,” Keith whispers, staring blankly at the wall as if he’s some place else, “I attacked him and started screaming while I stabbed him. I think I was crying and I couldn’t stop,” his voice cracks, “I just kept stabbing him even after he’s dead and Antok pulled me off at some point...I realize now I wanted to kill him. If I could go back I’d do it again.”

Shiro takes a moment to process what Keith told him and nods slowly, trying not to imagine what the scene must have looked like, “I understand why you reacted like that, Keith. He hurt you and you were angry and wanted to take revenge on him.”

Keith cracks his knuckles one by one while he talks and tucks his knees against his chest, curling his toes to crack a few of them too, “I guess it was revenge. But I don’t feel any better.”

The strong arms tighten around him and he finds comfort in the warmth of the embrace, “Revenge usually isn’t the best way to deal with stuff like this. And you won’t be able to kill every person that hurt you even if it did make you feel better,” Shiro says, “Killing that man can’t take away your pain. You just need to figure out a healthier way of coping.”

Keith tucks his face into the crook of Shiro’s shoulder, “But I don’t know how to do that,” he replies. 

Shiro chuckles weakly and sighs, “I don’t really know how to either. I’ve got my fair share of anger too.”

Keith’s eyes widen when he realizes he’s been neglecting what Shiro’s been going through, he’s had to recover too after all, and pulls back, “I-I’m sorry. I’ve been sort of ignoring the fact that you suffered too,” he says frantically, “I guess you’ve been pretty good at hiding it that I haven’t really noticed.”

Shiro smiles tenderly and combs his fingers through his hair, “Not that I want to compare our trauma but, I didn’t have it as bad as you. I was there for year, tops, and they didn’t rape me,” he replies, “And don’t feel bad about that okay? We both deal with stuff like this in our own way.”

Keith lets out a quiet sigh and slowly moves his head back to its original position, resting on his chest, “How do you cope with it then?”

“Well, I try not to let it define me. I’m not Champion and I’m not just the guy that was experimented on,” Shiro tries to explain, “It’s still a part of me but only a small part. I do my best to accept what happened too, even though that’s hard and the nightmares may never go away. But whenever I hit a low point, I just think about you and Akira. That’s always what brings me back.”

Keith can’t help smile and nuzzles against Shiro, “That’s so sweet,” he says, his words muffled by his chest, “I’ll try doing that stuff. Maybe it’ll help,” he adds, unable to stop the doubt creeping into his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 20 on Friday (3/23)


	20. Impatience is Never Good In a Waiting Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith continues pestering Kolivan about finding Voltron and realizes he needs to pass the Trials of Marmora first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only ten chapters left ahH! This went by so fast! In this chapter, I go back to the whole 'finding Voltron' arc thing and that'll keep being the major arc for the rest of the fic. Hope you enjoy!

Even though Keith is busy taking care of Akira and slowly recovering, he doesn’t forget about the data he brought back during a mission while he was still pregnant that holds key information to finding Voltron. He finds himself unable to get rid of his anger so he redirects it, focusing on fighting against the Galra Empire that caused him and many others so much pain instead of the individuals, knowing it’s far better to take down the whole system that allows and encourages that sort of violence. 

Keith is persistent and asks about progress on the data every few days, almost becoming an annoyance to Kolivan. He’s thrilled to hear they’ve finally put together the frequency but then disappointed once again when Kolivan informs him that building the device will take more time.

“Ugh” he groans in frustration, “So how about when that’s done? Will I, I mean we, be able to find Voltron? And beat the Empire?”

Kolivan sighs at that and presses his lips together, “You’re looking at this too simply Keith,” he says, “Even if we do find Voltron, we’ll need to find five Paladins to pilot each lion and-”

“Well that’ll be easy,” Keith interrupts, unable to contain himself much to Kolivan’s exasperation, “You can be one and then Regris and I don’t know, maybe me if there’s enough lions left,” he says, trying to pull it off like he doesn’t really want to be a Paladin and failing, “And Shiro too. He’s be great.”

Kolivan pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head, “That’s not how it works. You can’t assign Paladins like that. The lions choose their Paladins,” he replies, “And that’s what I’m trying to say, even if we find Voltron it could take a while for us to find Paladins. And the lions are split up so we have to search for each one.”

Keith frowns slightly and sighs, “Okay, I see what you’re saying. But that doesn’t meet we can’t start looking for Voltron, right?” he asks, being very hard to deter. 

“I promise you we will start looking once we can. Believe me, this is one of our top priorities,” Kolivan replies, “But searching will take time too. We’ll need to send out many expeditions to scan sections of the universe and when we detect the material in a specific area we’ll need to keep narrowing it down until we can search individual planets. And if those areas are Galra controlled it’ll make it even more difficult.”

Keith’s shoulders slouch forward and he crosses his arms, “I get it. Just keep me updated. I want, no I need, to be part of this. Please consider me for the missions to go out looking?”

Kolivan raises his brow, “I’m well aware you’re very invested in this and I’ll make you a part of it but these types of mission are too important to sent a trainee out on. You’ll need to pass the Trials and become a fully fledged Blade before I can even consider you.”

Keith’s lips pull down into a frown and he knits his brow together, “Oh. So when can I try to pass the Trials?” he asks, hoping he’ll be allowed to before the missions searching for Voltron start. 

“Anyone can try to pass the Trials whenever they want,” Kolivan replies, “but you can only try two times. So you must make sure you’re ready before you try.”

Keith’s frown only gets deeper and he sighs softly, “You haven’t told me much about the Trials,” he says, waiting for Kolivan to fill him in but he just stares at him silently, “Um so could you tell me more about them? What exactly will I need to do?”

“The content of the Trials are secretive, even after you pass you cannot discuss them openly, especially with someone who hasn’t passed,” Kolivan explains, “I’ve told you everything I can. They’re meant to test you, not only physically but mentally as well, to see if you are fit to be a Blade. If you pass, you will awaken your blade. That’s how we’ll know.”

Keith bites the inside of his cheek, “Awaken my blade? What does that mean? And what do you mean by mentally?” he asks worriedly, unsure how they’d even go about doing that. 

“Your blade with transform into another form,” Kolivan gives a slight shake of his head, “And I can’t tell you that. I’m just going to suggest that you take some time before you make your decision. You don’t need to rush this.”

Holding back more questions, Keith nods and leaves the control room. It’s pretty late, already past dinner, so he’s sure Shiro is in their room with Akira. His natural urge is to go to the room and talk to Shiro so he can get some advice but something stops him. Shiro won’t be with him during the Trials and won’t be able to help him.

He turns on his heels and walks the opposite direction, passing the control room and going to the training area. The large room is thankfully empty and Keith turns on a fighting simulation, picking up on the level where he left off. He takes out his blade as the hole opens up in the ground, giving a few feets distance between himself and the robot that rises up from the opening.

Keeping his breathing steady and controlled, Keith waits for the robot to attack him and dodges the strike. At this point in his training, fighting is so natural to him, he doesn’t really need to think about it that much. His body seems to move on its own, reacting instinctively to whatever the robot throws at him. 

Surprisingly, when Keith is fighting without the threat of serious danger, he’s able to reflect and think better than any other time. His mind quickly mulls over the Trials. Obviously, he’s not going to get any more information out of Kolivan and he doubts anyone else would be willing to either. He decides the best way to figure this out is on his own.

With a blow to the head, the robot shuts down and Keith prepares for the next one. He pants softly and starts wondering what the mental aspect of the Trial Kolivan was talking about is. Keith goes on the offensive and attacks the next robot, their weapons clashing together. 

If the Trials are at all personalised for the individual, which Keith is sure they are, the mental testing will definitely have something to do with his trauma. He guesses he’ll have to come to terms with his past in some way and remembers the advice Shiro told him a while back, hoping that’ll help him.

Time slips by Keith without him noticing while he goes through countless levels of the simulation, pushing his endurance, and mulls over possible ways the Trials could go and how it could test him. 

Back in the room, Shiro starts to wonder where Keith and goes out looking for him, checking the training room first. Keith doesn't notice when he first walks in but stops at the sound of his name. He looks back and smiles tiredly when he sees Shiro, turning off the simulation before he approaches him.

Shiro figures Keith has been here for a while from how sweaty he looks, “I figured you’d be here. Did you need some time alone to think?” he asks, by now knowing well enough that when Keith is faced with a problem he’ll either come to him to talk or train until he exhausts himself.

Keith wipes the drops of sweat from his forehead and nods, catching his breath, “Yeah,” he replies, “I needed to figure something out by myself.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Shiro asks, always wanting to help his partner.

“It’s the Trials. I’ll have to pass them at some point but it’s up to me to decide when I’m ready. There’s a mental aspect to it so I got worried about how what happened to me would figure into it,” Keith explains, “But I decided I need to do this on my own. I’ll be going through the Trials by myself anyways,” he adds before Shiro can offer up any advice.

Shiro nods slowly and smiles in understanding, “I agree with you on that. I’m proud of you,” he says, “And whenever you decide to try to pass the Trials, I’ll be there to support you.”

Keith moves forward silently and hugs Shiro, pressing his face against his chest. He sighs happily when he feels the others arms wrap around him and pull him close, “Thank you,” he whispers. He pulls away after a moment and pushes his hair out of his forehead, “I’ve got to take a shower. I feel so gross,” he mutters.

Shiro laughs at that and nods, “Yeah, you are pretty sweaty,” he replies playfully, “Can I join you?”

Keith blinks in surprise and smiles widely, “Of course, handsome,” he says with a wink, “Just don’t get too handsy.”

“I can’t make any promises,” Shiro shoots back, grinning when Keith laughs and takes his hand, dragging him down the hallway.

_____________________________________________________

The few doctors at the Blade of Marmora aren’t exactly specialized in dealing with mental health issues, being there to treat physical injuries and conduct emergency surgery, so when Keith asks them for help on how to strength his mental state, they have limited advice. All of them agree however, that reflection and mindfulness are key to recovery. Keith isn’t too familiar with those concepts but thanks them anyways, deciding to ask Shiro about it.

Keith tries to explain what the doctors told him and Shiro comments on how that sounds a lot like meditation, telling him how he should find a quiet place he finds calming and just empty his mind. Keith has to force himself not to call bullshit on everything they’re saying and decides to at least try it, too invested in passing the Trials.

He explores the base to find a quiet place and stumbles upon a small observatory like room with a glass ceiling that’s always empty. He sets up a comfortable nest of blankets and pillows and plays calming music from his tablet every time he meditates. The first time he tries it Keith doesn’t get much out of it but he continues anyways and realizes it’s very helpful to have an hour a day just to himself to think, mulling over his trauma, the Trials and his life in general. Sometimes the sessions end badly, with him unable to stop thinking about the past, but at least they’re all productive; before he was so focused on surviving he never got the chance to really think and reflect.

As promised, Kolivan keeps Keith updated on the mission to find Voltron, telling him when the device is complete and when they start sending out scouting missions. Within a few weeks, they’ve sent out seven missions to scan different sections of the galaxy for the particular frequency emitted by the element Voltron is made of but so far all the results have come up negative. 

Keith finally decides he’s ready both mentally and physically and tells Shiro before Kolivan, getting a proud smile and a hug. There’s a confidence in Keith’s step that wasn’t there before as he heads off to find Kolivan, going to the control room first since that’s where he spends most of his time.

Kolivan turns to him when he enters and raises his brow, “You’re ready,” he states, able to tell from the determined look in his eyes. 

Keith nods firmly and smiles, “I am,” he replies.

“Good. Tomorrow after breakfast meet me in the main hall,” Kolivan says, “You can bring Shiro too if you like, you know, for support.”

Keith takes a deep breath and asks for an update on the Voltron mission but there isn’t anything new so he heads back to his bedroom. He’s greeted by a smiling Shiro and a very sleepy Akira. Keith feeds the baby before putting them to bed and rocks them to sleep. He crawls under the blankets with Shiro and closes his eyes, knowing he has a sleepless night ahead of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 21 on Tuesday (3/27)


	21. You Have to Choose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith attempts the Trials of Marmora and is forced to face his past yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! For this chapter, I had to base a lot of it off of the show but there are some differences to I hope it's not too similar. Enjoy!

Just as he thought, Keith doesn’t get much sleep, the pent up anxiety and excitement keeping him up; the silver lining is that he’s already awake when Akira starts crying and can tend to them quickly. 

He lays in bed for what seems like hours before getting up, checking his tablet and seeing it’s still early morning. He gets dressed anyways, putting on the suit left for him to wear specifically for the Trials, and the movement and rustling of clothes wakes Shiro up.

Giving a big yawn, Shiro sits up and stretches his arms above his head, his shoulder joints cracking, “You heading out already?”

Keith nods a bit and grabs his Blade, tucking it into its sheath, “I couldn’t really sleep so yeah. I need to eat breakfast first too.”

Shiro pushes the blankets down with his feet until it’s bunched up at the foot of bed, “Do you want me to come with?” he asks, “To the Trials I mean.”

Keith smiles faintly and nods, “Yeah, Kolivan said you could. And I want you there.” He waits for Shiro to get changed and watches him strap on the baby carrier they had made, setting Akira inside it. The baby is quite content to be strapped to Shiro’s chest and babbles incoherently, opening and closing their hands. 

They walk together to the canteen and as Keith serves his food and eats, several people wish him good luck, the news having spread that he’d be doing his trials today. He smiles at them politely, trying to hide his nervousness, and thanks them. 

After they’re done eating, they waste no time and go to the main hall where Kolivan is waiting with Antok and Regris, he always seems to have his right hand men by his side. Keith and Shiro approach them, standing a few feet away from the steps leading up to the elevated stage where they’re standing. 

“Are you ready to attempt the Trials of Marmora?” Kolivan asks, giving a Keith a serious look.

Keith squeezes his fists and inhales slowly, “I am,” he replies firmly. 

Kolivan nods at that, “These Trials result on one of two things. Knowledge or death,” he declares. With that, Keith is silently lead to a door he’s not familiar with and, after a quick hug shared with Shiro, he’s left there. The door opens slowly and Keith steps inside, hearing it close behind him. 

The space is huge and shaped like a diamond with one door at each end. Keith steps further into the room and spots a hole ahead of him that looks very similar to the ones in the training room. It opens up but instead of a robot, a Blade, fully dressed in their suit, rises up. 

Keith is unsettled by the fact that he’ll be fighting someone that he might know but he pushes that thought aside and takes a fighting stance, holding his knife firmly. The Galra in front of him reaches their arm up and unshealths their blade, holding it forward, “Surrender the blade,” their voice distorted, “You cannot win.”

Keith blinks in surprise but composes himself quickly, growling as he lunges forward. Their blades immediately clash together as each of them tries to get the upper hand. Keith is able to tell this individual is highly skilled, probably having been a Blade for years now, and he questions the use of having him fight someone who has such a huge advantage over him. 

The frustration gets the better of Keith and in his split second of distraction, the other manages to land a hit on his shoulder. He cries out in pain and stumbles back, giving the the Blade another opportunity. They sweep their legs under his and he falls over, tumbling onto the ground. 

Before he knows it, Keith feels cold metal against his neck with the Galra above him, pinning him down, “Surrender the blade and the pain will cease.”

Keith frowns deeply and tilts his head back, trying to keep the knife from cutting into his skin, “I’m not giving up,” he chokes out, overcome with a feeling of dread at the realization that he might have already failed. 

Much to Keith’s surprise, the Blade stands up, letting him go, “Then the pain continues.” 

Keith’s limbs shake slightly as he pulls himself up, panting softly, and he watches as the Blade steps aside to reveal the door in front of him, “You are not meant to go through that door.” Keith frowns and glances between the Blade and the door, unsure what he should do next. He guesses he’s done fighting them and there’s no other way to go but forward so he walks toward the door. 

It opens for him and Keith jogs toward it, eager when he realizes it isn’t over just yet. He enters the next room, seeing it’s identical to the first expect there are two holes instead of one. 

Keith’s eyes widen as he watches two Blades rise up and again questions the fairness of what’s going on. Not only does he have to fight people who are far more skilled and experienced than him but now it’s two against one. Keith shakes the thoughts away, knowing there’s a reason behind this, and runs toward them with determination. 

If fighting against one Blade was difficult, then two seems impossible. He’s on the offensive for a good few seconds before he’s overwhelmed by the second Blade, struggling to defend himself against the both of them. He just barely blocks three hits before getting struck in the side, crying out in pain as he stumbles back. 

Keith gets a hold of his footing and pants as he eyes the two figures, growling as lunges toward one, his ears pressed against his head. Before he knows it, Keith is on the floor again with a blade pointing down at him, “Surrender the blade and the pain will cease.”

“No! I’m going to keep fighting,” Keith shouts up at them, holding his injured arm.

The Blade steps back to give Keith a straight shot at the next door, “You are not meant to go through that door.”

Keith stumbles up and heads toward the door without hesitation, cursing when he sees three holes opening up. He lasts not even ten seconds against three Blades before he’s covered in bruises and on the floor. His arms tremble as he struggles to pull himself up only to hear on the Blades repeat the same line.

_Like hell I’m not going through the door._

He walks past the three of them with a slight limp and goes into the next room, somehow still surprised when he sees there’s yet again an extra Blade. His body throbs in pain and he starts to question what he’s doing. 

Keith doesn’t think the Blade of Marmora would create a test that’s this straight forward. It doesn’t make sense to him that the test is just to keep fighting to reach an end that he’s questioning is even there. If every time he goes through that door he’ll only be meet by more and more Blades to fight, there has to be some other way to end this. He can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. 

The door behind him closes and Keith looks back, guessing that isn’t an option anymore. The four Blades rise up from the openings and as they step off, he noticing the hole they came out of. Maybe that could be the way out. 

As the openings start to close, Keith aims his blade and hurls it toward the closest opening with the last of his strength. He smiles weakly when he sees it worked and kept the top from sliding over the entrance. Keith breaks into a run and fights off the oncoming Blades, focusing on pushing past them.

He jumps through the slit, grabbing his blade on his way down, and slides down the tunnel, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Keith finds himself in another room, this one different from the rest, and sighs in relief when he sees there are not holes in the ground. 

Stumbling forward, he tries his best to make our his surrounds but his vision is spotty and blurry. He wonders since the physical part of the test seems to be over, when the mental aspect will come up. Keith’s legs give out from under him and he collapses with a quiet grunt, his blade clattering onto the ground.

His mind is clouded with something he can’t quite pinpoint and his eyes flutter closed and open again. He makes out a familiar figure above him and cracks a smile when he sees Shiro’s face. “Shiro,” he whispers as the other offers his hand. 

Shiro helps him up and pats his back, “You did it darling,” he says with a wide smile, “Kolivan said you lasted longer than he thought you would. I was surprised too.”

Keith furrows his brow and tilts his head in confusion, “What do you mean by that?”

Shiro shrugs, “Everyone knows the only thing you’re good at is being a whore,” his smile doesn’t look like Shiro’s normally does, there’s too much teeth showing and there’s something sinister about it.

Keith stomach drops and the taste of bile fills his throat and mouth, “W-what?” he chokes out, “Why would you say that?” he asks as he reaches out for him, grabbing onto his arms.

Shiro slaps his hands away, “Don’t touch me, you’re filthy,” he snaps, “How could you be a Blade if you can’t even keep your own children safe or fight off those men? You’re a pathetic excuse of a person.”

The sudden urge to both cry and throw up wash over Keith but he manages to hold out, “I...You’re wrong. I passed,” he whispers, even though the words still hurt. Shiro scoofs and turns around, walking away, “Wait!” Keith calls out, a blinding light fills his field of vision as he runs after him and he faints, collapsing on the floor. 

When the white light fades away, Keith is somewhere dark, the air heavier and musky. He looks around in confusion, spotting a slit of light behind him. Keith’s eyes struggle to adjust but soon he recognizes the cell door, an opening at eye level letting him look out into what he immediately recognizes as the Galra prison hallway. 

The cell he’s in isn’t just any cell. It’s his. The one he spent years in. His chest tightens and his breath hitches, he reaches out with trembling hands and pushes against the door, surprised when it opens slightly with a loud creek. 

“I missed you,” a deep, familiar voice says from behind him. Keith whips around and, much to his horror, Throvok is grinning up at him. His face instils just as much fear and anger in Keith as it did all those months ago, “You’re looking good,” he purrs.

Throvok is kneeling down in front of him with his hands restrained behind his back, seeming unable to move, “I’m glad your hip is healed. Maybe I’ll get to break it again, hm?”

Keith growls, baring his sharp teeth, and clenches his hands, feeling the handle of a knife and looking down to see that his blade is still with him. He glances between it and Throvok, taking only a few seconds to make his decision. 

Keith lunges forward and grabs onto his fur, tugging his head back harshly to expose his throat, as he presses the edge of his blade against Throvok’s neck, “You’re going to pay for what you did with your life,” he spits out, about to slash his throat when he hears his name being called.

At first he’s not sure if he heard it right but then it happens again, “Keith!” he frowns and pulls the knife away slowly, looking through the slit to see what’s going on.

He sees Shiro, who’s still calling his name, and other Blades fighting against a huge group of Galra soldiers, “There’s too many of them! We need backup!” another voice calls out. Keith recognizing it as Regris’s.

Keith frowns deeply and grips his blade harder, looking back at Throvok who’s still grinning at him, “What’s it going to be? Will you leave me here and let me live?” he taunts him, “I always knew you didn’t have what it takes.”

The shock of a explosion causes rumbling and Keith steadies himself, wincing when he hears screams of pain muffled by the thick metal door. He growls as he holds the blade against Throvok’s neck again, he feels his pulse and knows his life is in his hands. Just one swift movement and he could end it all.

“Keith!” another shout from Shiro followed by more screams and rumbling. Keith grinds his teeth and stares into Throvok’s eyes, his whole body tensing before he pulls back, taking a step back.

“No,” he says quietly, “I’m better than that. Better than you,” he adds confidently, looking down at Throvok with a blank stare. He turns his back to him, “Defeating the Empire is bigger than me,” he says before he pushes the door open all the way and steps out.

With a gasp Keith’s eyes snap open, the painfully aching and soreness returning to his body, and he sits up slowly, realizing he’s back in the room where he passed out. He groans as he rubs his forehead, his head throbbing, and looks down when he hears an odd, hissing sound. 

He realizes his blade is making the sound and the insignia at the top of the handle is glowing much more than it normally does, the light growing suddenly and fills the entire room. Keith resist the urge to look away and watches it transform before his eyes, the blade longer with a beautifully curved edge and a glowing design. 

Keith grins tiredly, realizing this is the awakening Kolivan was talking about, “I did it,” he whispers to himself. His vision becomes clouded with black dots and his hold on the blade loosens; before he’s even aware of it, Keith goes limp, his body and mind completely exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 22 on Friday (3/30)


	22. Fulfilling Your Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro and Keith deal with the aftermath of the Trials and get important news about Voltron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This is kinda of a filler chapter but there are important plot points so not really. Well, I don't have much to say about this one. I hope you enjoy it!

When Keith wakes up, the first thing he notices is how soft and comfortable he feels, the blankets covering his body provide the perfect amount of warmth and the soft mattress under him does wonders to ease his sore muscles. He opens his eyes slowly and after adjusting to the bright light, he makes out Shiro’s face, smiling down at him.

“Hey, you’re awake,” he says gently, reaching out to take his hand, “I was so scared you pushed yourself too far.”

Keith smiles weakly and tries to sit up but decides against it when his body aches in protest, “I’m sorry you were scared,” he mutters, “I passed though, right?”

“You certainly did.” Keith turns his head to see Kolivan standing on the other side of his bed, realizing he’s in the medical bay, “Congratulations. You’re officially a member of the Blade of Marmora now. Your mother would be proud.”

Keith sighs in relief and rests his head against the pillow, “Thank God. If all that shit I went through amounted to nothing, well I would have been pretty upset. Now I know what you meant by saying the Trials challenge you mentally.”

Kolivan nods in understanding, “Yes, well you did good. That part was especially difficult, it usually is.”

Keith frowns slightly and his eyes widen in realization, “Wait you guys saw that?” he asks frantically, suddenly unable to look at Shiro anymore.

“Yes, we saw everything. The suits are able to create virtual mindscapes which reflect your inner hopes and fears and we’re able to see what it projects,” Kolivan replies carefully, guessing Keith isn’t so comfortable with that, “But everything that happened after you figured out how to get out wasn’t real.”

Keith relaxes slightly against the bed and clasps his fingers together, “Okay, that’s good I guess. It was just you two watching?”

“And Regris,” Kolivan adds, “Well, I’m glad you’re okay and that you passed. The doctor said you should rest for a few days at least. I have business to attend to so I’ll leave you two be,” he says, sensing that they need to talk privacy, before he leaves. 

The moment of awkward silence gets to Keith but he can’t bring himself to say anything, he can practically feel Shiro’s eyes on him, “Keith,” the man says tenderly as he takes his hand again, squeezing gently; he feels guilty about what happened even though he didn’t really have anything to do with and knows he needs to make things right.

“Look, I’m s-”

“Don’t apologize,” Keith cuts him off, looking at him seriously, “You didn’t do anything wrong. It wasn’t you who said those things so you don’t need to apologize.” 

Shiro looks down and sighs in defeat, “I know that but I can’t help feel bad. We’ve built trust with each other and I’m sorry you had to hear me, well not me. But you had to hear my voice and my, image I guess, say those things,” he says, “I need you to know I don’t think that at all and it’s not true. And I’m so proud of the way you dealt with it.”

Keith sighs softly and squeezes his hand back, “Thank you for saying that,” he replies, knowing he can’t change the way Shiro feels even if it is irrational, “Where’s Akira?” he asks after a moment. 

Shiro smiles at that and pulls the crib next to him closer, the baby inside and laying in their back, kicking and stretching their legs out. When Akira sees Shiro’s face lean over, they smile and grab up at him with their hands. Shiro chuckles and picks his child up, “Someone’s excited to see you,” he says when Akira gargles happily at the sight of Keith.

Keith eagerly takes Akira into his arms when Shiro holds them out and smiles, “Aw I missed you too.” He bends his knees so he can place Akira on his lap with them supported by his thighs. Keith rubs the happy baby’s belly and scratches behind their ears. Akira immediately relaxes and lets out a quiet sound that’s very similar to purring. 

Shiro laughs at that, the baby’s reaction to the scratching never getting old, and pulls his chair closer so he can lean against Keith and wrap his arm around him. Keith smiles and nuzzles against him, taking one of Akira’s toys out of the crib for them to play with as best as they can, their motor skills still developing. The couple stay like that for a while and simply enjoy spending time with their child, for a moment forgetting about all their worries.

_____________________________________________________

“Man, I can’t believe you get to go out looking for Voltron before I do,” Keith pouts as he pushes his food around his plate.

Zerok laughs at that and continues eating hungrily, “You're making too big of a deal out of this,” she says, “Missions like this are pretty boring anyways so you should consider yourself lucky that you don't have to go.”

Keith blinks in surprise and tilts his head, “What do you mean by ‘boring’? You're going to be out there looking for the most powerful weapon on the universe and I'll just be stopping a shipment of quintessence as always.”

Zerok shakes her head and smiles at him playfully, “Well the way I look at it is I'm going to be floating alone in space in a tiny fighter that's scanning everything for me while you're out there fighting the Galra and getting to see some action,” she counters, cocking her eyebrow.

Keith purses his lips as he thinks it over and throws his arms up in the air, “I guess,” he exclaims dramatically, “If you say it like that then you're right but I've been wanting to get put on the mission you're on for so long. It's kind of frustrating, you know?”

“Why are you so invested in this anyways?” Zerok asks curiously, “I mean, I know everyone is invested in it here. It's our best chance at defeating the Empire,” she adds quickly, seeing Keith was so ready to start gushing about how powerful and important Voltron is, “but you seem even more into it than everyone else. I can't even count the number of times you've asked Kolivan about it.”

Keith looks down for a moment and sighs, glancing around to make sure there aren't too many people listening, “I know all of you guys have been hurt by the Empire but it's different for me. I was there for so long and the things I went through-” he shudders and shakes his head, “It's personal for me because of that. And also my mom died trying to find Voltron so it's my duty to finish what she started.”

Zerok can't help feel proud of how much Keith has grown since he got here, having been watching him from the sidelines since his arrival was the most interesting thing that's happened during her time here, “Those are both very honorable reasons. And I'm sure Kolivan will put you on a mission once we start get closer.”

Keith perks up at that and grins, “You really think so? Did he say that?”

Zerok chuckles at his eagerness and shrugs, “He didn't say that exactly but I'm sure he's keeping you in mind. He knows this is important to you,” she says as she finishes her meal, standing up, “I better get going. I don't want to be late for the mission.”

“Let me know how it goes!” Keith calls out as she walks away, smiling when she gives him an almost correct thumbs up. He finishes his meal as well and heads back to the training room with a renewed energy.

_____________________________________________________

Keith kneels on the floor, taking a break from training for a moment, and holds out his hands, “Come on Akira, come to Dad,” he encourages, holding out his hands and gesturing for them to come closer.

A few feet in front of him, Shiro is sitting cross legged with Akira by his feet. He helps the baby get on his stomach and points at Keith, “Go on sweetheart. Go to your Dad,” he coos gently. 

Akira has already learning how to sit up and can hold up their weight on their hands and knees but has yet to crawl so Keith took it upon himself to encourage them to. The baby smiles when they see Keith and babbles incoherently, making happy sounds. They push themselves up onto their hands and knees and slowly start lifting their hands up and moving forward.

Keith gasps and claps, waving them on, “That's it!” he exclaims proudly, “Come to Dad, you're almost there.”

The progress is slow but eventually Akira reaches Keith and he scoops them up in his arms and hugs them, much to the baby's delight. Shiro laughs softly and grins, “Now send them back to me,” he says excitedly. 

Keith nods and plays with Akira for a bit before he sets them down on the floor so they're facing Shiro, “Go to Papa now.” Shiro gestures for Akira to come toward him and they start crawling happily, still a bit clumsy. 

Regris, who was busy training, notices the happy comonsion and approaches them curiously, smiling faintly when he sees what's going on, “So the kit is learning how to crawl. Isn't it a bit early for that?”

Shiro nods at that and picks Akira up when they reach up, nuzzling them close, “Well crawling at this age is about right for humans so I guess Galra babies develop slower? Maybe the quarter human has more influence than we thought,” he ponders. 

Keith smiles at the idea and notices Akira taking an interest in Regris as he talks, “That makes sense. We have observed that hybrids, like Keith and I, tend to develop slower than one species but faster than the other,” he adds, making eye contact with the smiling baby.

Akira notices Regis’ tail swaying slightly and gasps in interest, reaching out with their hands and squirming slightly in Shiro's arms, “Oh, do you want to go over to Regris?” Shiro asks as he sets Akira down. 

The baby immediately starts crawling towards Regris, their small hands slapping against the floor. Regris raises his brow and awkwardly sits on the ground, “Oh, um okay,” he mutters, not having much experience with babies. 

Akira gets back in a sitting position, their legs stretched out, once they decide they're close enough and reaches out for the blue tail with mostly harmless spikes along one edge. Regris moves his tail closer so they can reach and smiles when Akira touches the scaly skin gently.

The baby gasps and giggles at the new sensation and touches the tail more, getting a bit more heavy handed as they get confident, “They sure like it,” Regris comments, moving his tail slightly and smiling when Akira laughs.

When Akira is comfortable enough with the tail, Regris slowly wraps it around their torso a couple of times, much to their delight. He lifts the baby up carefully, making sure they won't fall, and starts moving them through the air like they're flying.

Akira squeals happily, kicking their legs and flailing their arms, as Regris moves them through the air, “You wanna be a pilot someday, kiddo?” he asks, his voice much softer and gentler than usual. 

After a while, Regris sets Akira back down in Keith's lap, able to tell they're getting tired, and Keith places them in the crib, tucking them in with their favorite blanket. Regris smiles fondly and rubs the back of his neck, “You know, if you two ever need someone to look after Akira, I would be happy to.”

Keith smiles at that and chuckles, “Thank you Regris. That's very kind to offer.” Regris nods and goes back to his serious composure, heading back to his training area.

_____________________________________________________

Shiro holds Akira up while Keith attempts to feed them, holding a spoon of food goo in front of their face, “Come on darling, why don’t you try it?” Akira eyes the green mash cautious, unsure if they should eat it, “It’ll taste good, I promise. Just open your mouth,” Keith coos, opening his mouth himself.

Akira copies him and opens their mouth, watching as Keith brings the spoon to their lips. They taste the goo curiously and eats it slowly, some of it dripping down his chin since they’re not used to eating solid food yet. 

Keith chuckles and tries to get the food back into Akira’s mouth with the spoon, giving up after a while and just wiping it away. He continues feeding Akira like this, the process slow, until they’re full and push away the spoon. 

The sound of a throat clearing pulls Keith’s attention away from Akira and he looks to see Kolivan standing there, “Oh hey, do you need me for a mission?”

“Not exactly,” Kolivan replies, “I just thought you’d want to know we’ve made progress with finding Voltron.”

Keith’s eyes widen and he immediately sits up straighter, “Well you thought right. What’s the update?”

“One of our missions reported they detected the frequency and Earth is within the section of space that was scanned.”

Shiro holds his breath at the mention of Earth and grins, “Hold up, you’re saying Voltron could be on Earth?” he asks, beating Keith to the punch. 

Kolivan sighs softly, having guessed he’d get this sort of reaction, “It is possible, yes. And it would just be one of the lions,” he replies, “To successfully use Voltron, we need to keep searching and find all five. Now we’re going to send out more missions to scan individual planets to bring back the lion in that section of the universe.”

Keith’s smiles only gets wider, his eyes sparkling with excitement, “Can I be considered for one of those missions?” he asks, trying to restrain himself. 

“I’ve already made my decisions and you and Shiro will be scanning fifty planets, one of those being Earth. I know how much this means to the both of you, but you are not to land on Earth unless the frequency is detected. I expect the both of you to come to the control room in three quintants for the briefing before you’re sent out. Do you understand?”

Both Keith and Shiro nod their heads quickly and celebrate quietly when Kolivan is gone, “This is great!” Keith exclaims, “What if the lion’s on Earth? I’d finally be able to see it and you’d be able to visit home again.”

Shiro’s overcome with joy at the idea of seeing Earth again, missing everything about it, but he smiles sadly, “There’s such a tiny chance that that’ll be the case Keith. We shouldn’t get our hopes up.”

Keith sighs in frustration and tilts his head back, “I know, I know. But I can’t help myself. This is still pretty great though. I can finally continue what my mom died trying to do,” he says, looking back up at Shiro, “And even if we don’t get to Earth this time, once this war is over, I promise we’ll go.”

Shiro nods in agreement and smiles hopefully, deciding not to mention that that’ll only happen if they manage to defeat the Empire, “I can’t wait to show you everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 23 on Tuesday (4/3)


	23. Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro and Keith go on their mission to find Voltron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! We're reaching the peak of the finding Voltron arc and I had a really fun writing this chapter and next couple of ones. I hope you enjoy it!

Regris feels a bit overwhelmed by all the instructions Keith and Shiro give him but he doesn’t show it; he nods and listens, trying his very best to remember all the information about Akira’s bedtime, meals, habits, favorite toys and everything else he could possibly need to know.

Nervousness pools in Keith’s gut as he hands Akira over to Regris, “Are you sure you’ll be okay with taking care of them? I mean, we don’t know how long we’ll be gone on this mission.”

Regris smiles reassuringly and holds Akira close to his chest, being sure to support their head even though they don’t really need it anymore, “I’m sure. I have all the supplies and if sometimes goes wrong, I can always have Kolivan contact you.”

Keith nods slowly and relaxes slightly when Shiro places a gentle hand on his shoulder, “It’ll be fine. Regris and Akira have gotten pretty close after all,” he says. 

With a deep breath, Keith nods and smiles, “Okay, thank you for doing this for us. It means a lot.”

Regris rocks Akira gently, the baby starting to fall asleep, “It’s not a problem. I hope your mission goes well.” 

With that, the couple say goodbye to Regris and their baby before heading to the control room. They join a group of about a dozen Blades, each pair having been assigned a different section of the area that was scanned positive for the frequency. Once everyone has arrived, Kolivan, who’s at the front of the group, starts his explanations, first pulling up a map of the area, split into ten sections. 

“As all of you know, the frequency we’ve identified as Voltron has been detected in this area and you’ll be working in pairs to scan each section,” Kolivan explains, pulling up a list of names alongside fighter identification numbers, “These are the ships you’ve been assigned and the coordinates for each section has already been programmed into your fighter. You’ll be systemically scanning each planet twice and the system will record the results.”

“What is the protocol if we detect the frequency?” one of the Blades in the front asks, everyone else thinking the same thing.

Kolivan hums softly, “If you are able to, you should inform me immediately before boarding the planet. This is a race against time with the Empire so we need bring back the lions as fast as possible. If you detect the frequency you will do everything to bring it here without being detected by the Empire or inhabitants of the planet. Now head to your fighters and follow your orders,” he says firmly, receiving a chorus ‘yes sir’s in reply. 

Keith keeps his small, bounces of excitement under control as he listens to the instructions, trying his best to pay attention. He makes sure to look at the screen again, memorizing the number of their ship, before following the group to the fighter bay and is the first one into the large hall, glancing behind him to see a smiling Shiro following after him. 

As they get into the fighter, Shiro takes Keith’s hand and squeezes reassuringly, knowing he’s having a hard time calming himself. They take their seats as co-pilots and get ready to take off, waiting for Kolivan to call out their group.

“Tell me what Earth will look like from space?” Keith asks, realizing he won’t be able to recognize it since he always asked questions about life on the surface. 

Shiro smiles fondly and leans back in his seat, Kolivan calling out other groups through the intercom, “Well it’s mostly blue, because of the ocean, and the land is a greenish brown,” he explains, “There will also be white clouds covering some parts and they move slowly, swirling around. It really is beautiful.”

Keith sighs happily as he listens, “It does sound wonderful. I can’t wait to see it,” he says, turning his head so he can look at Shiro, “It’s too bad we probably won’t be able to actually go on Earth. I’m sure you miss it.”

“Well we will if we detect the lion on Earth,” Shiro counters, “but that’s pretty unlikely. At this point I’ll be happy to just see it. And we’ll go there eventually. It’s just a matter of time,” he says, not mentioning how much he misses his home; he’s sure it’ll be painfully to be so close to going back without actually being able to. 

Keith opens his mouth to reply when Kolivan calls their fighter for take off and he springs into action, leaving the rest of the conversation for another time. They take off and fly their way out of the base and the star safely enveloping them, the fighter automatically taking a course to the first planet in their section.

Shiro pulls up the list on his tablet and scrolls through it, stopping when he finds Earth at around the end, “Earth is one of the last ones,” he sighs, a bit impatient. 

Keith presses his lips together and nods, “We’ll have to wait a while I guess. But that’ll make it all the more worth it.”

After scanning the fourth planet, Keith finally admits to himself that Zerok was right about these types of missions being boring. Even though he knows they have a one out of ten chance to be the ones to find the lion, the process of traveling to a planet, scanning it for several minutes before getting a negative result and moving on is mind numbing. Keith soon realizes the only reason this isn’t an unmanned mission is because they need someone to retrieve the lion if they’re lucky enough to find it.

Shiro finds himself becoming equally as bored and they entertain themselves by talking about their future plans, imagining what life could be like in a perfect world. They wonder where they’d live, immediately deciding Earth would be ideal, and what their house would look like. Shiro decides he’d like to live somewhere with lots of nature and not too many people and Keith agrees, adding how it would be nice to have a large house and space for Akira to grow up in. They don’t mention how Keith and Akira’s appearance would make it much more difficult but they both think it, having too much to worry about already. 

Once they’ve talked through every detail of their future, they focus back on the mission, learning about each planet as they’re scanned even though they don’t have to and talking through strategies of extracting the lion. The scan always produces a negative result before they have to time to finish planning and they move on. 

As Earth moves higher and higher up the list, the excitement in the small space builds, hope bubbling in their guts at the thought of seeing the planet. Keith can barely wait through the scanning of the planet before Earth and laughs excitedly when they again get a negative result. 

Shiro grins from ear to ear the whole way to Earth, the trip seeming twice as long as all the others, and a gasp slips past his lips when the planet comes into view. Keith’s eyes widen at the sight, realizing it’s even better than Shiro described. 

The round planet is covered with a deep blue ocean separated with land that varies wildly in color, some areas green from lush forests and others a dry yellow from deserts. Clouds swirl over the surface of the Earth slowly and Keith wonders if it’s possible to touch them; he bets they’re soft and fluffy. 

“It’s even more amazing than I thought,” Keith whispers, barely noticing the ship is already scanning the planet. 

Shiro laughs softly and nods, “I could never do it justice,” he says quietly, “God, I didn’t think it would be so intense to see it again,” he adds, getting emotional. Keith reaches over and takes Shiro’s hand, squeezing gently. 

They gaze at the planet in awe and they jolt when they hear a beep, the results displaying on the screen. Keith assumes the result is negative, not expecting anything else, and doesn’t bother to read the text, still focused on the planet. 

“Earth, Planet M-73-Lox, is positive for frequency 384,” the robotic systems voice reports, “Starting second scan on frequency source.” Both Shiro and Keith look up at shock as the screen focuses in on a particular section of land, scanning again to identify the exact area the frequency is coming from so they can land near the lion. 

Shiro closes his jaw which was hanging open and swallows thickly, “I…” he chokes out, “One of the lions is on Earth?”

Keith nods slowly and smiles brightly, “Holy shit,” he whispers, “And everyone said it was unlikely. Do you recognize what it’s scanning right now?”

Shiro tries to shrug off the shock and narrows his eyes as he looks at the screen, figuring out what part of the world the ship is scanning through the clouds covering some parts, “Oh my God,” he gasps, “That’s the U.S!”

Keith furrows his eyes, trying to remember if Shiro mentioned that word, “That’s the place where you’re from right?”

“Yeah, it’s my home,” he replies quietly, sighing shakily, and sees the ship has narrowed down the frequency to several states, “We need to contact Kolivan,” he remembers after a moment. 

Keith nods at that, having forgetting too, and quickly calls him, waiting for a moment before he accepts the call, his face being displayed on the screen, “Keith, Shiro. Do you have an update on the mission?”

Shiro glances at Keith and he gives him a nod, “Um we’ve gotten a positive result from Earth,” he reports, still processing it himself. 

Kolivan cocks his brow, “Well that’s intriguing,” he comments, “Is the scan still ongoing?”

“Yes, it’s focusing in on a specific area to pinpoint exactly where the lion is,” Keith replies, noticing the area has shrunk since he last looked. 

“That’s good. You should wait until the ship provides exact coordinates,” Kolivan says, “Shiro, since you are familiar with Earth, you lead the mission so you’re not detected. Do what you need to do to bring the lion back safely and contact me with updates as often as you can. Good luck.”

“We’ll do our very best sir,” Shiro replies before they end the call. He leans back in his chair and runs his fingers through his hair, “I can’t believe we got this lucky. I get to go back and even to my country.”

Keith nods slowly and takes his hand, “I’m happy for you but it’s too bad we can’t make contact with anyone.”

Shiro smiles a bit and shakes his head, “Oh that’s okay, my parents moved back to Japan when they retired anyways so I won’t be able to visit them. One day though, I’ll see them again,” he says as he gazes at Earth, “They probably think I’m dead though. It’s been so long so the Garrison definitely declared me as dead, even if they don’t have any evidence.”

Keith furrows his brow and squeezes his hand, “That must be difficult for you then, letting the people who care about you think you’re dead.”

“It is hard,” Shiro sighs slowly, “But one day they won’t. And I can wait a bit longer.” Keith hums and leans against Shiro while they wait for the scan to finish, sitting up once the ship produces the coordinates. 

They plot a course to the landing spot and Keith turns to Shiro, flashing a grin, “You ready?” 

Shiro laughs, his voice bubbling with excitement and nervousness, “As ready as I’ll ever be.” With that, they head towards the planet and enter Earth’s atmosphere, being as discreet as possible as they land in a large expanse of dusty desert. 

Shiro lets the ship run on autopilot, knowing it’ll be better at guiding itself than he could ever be, and looks out the window at the desert, noting it reminds of the landscape around the Garrison. He squints when he spots a metal structure in the distance, the dust and darkness of night making it difficult to make it out.

“Oh my god,” Shiro whispers, his eyes wide with shock and realization as he stares at the large complex of buildings. 

Twisting his body to see what Shiro is looking at, Keith spots the structure as well, “What is that?” he asks curiously, not able to tell from this distance. 

“Remember when I told you about how I was a pilot at the Galaxy Garrison and they’re the ones that sent me on the Kerberos mission?” he asks, his heart swelling at the familiarity of his surroundings. 

“Yeah but what-” Keith takes a moment to figure out why that’s relevant and nods slowly, “Oh, is that the Garrison?”

Shiro sighs shakily and covers his mouth and nose with both hands, “Yeah, that’s it,” he mutters, watching as they get closer and closer to the surface. 

“Wow, it’s so odd that the lion is right next to it,” Keith says, furrowing his brow, “Do we need to worry about them finding out about us?”

Shiro drops his hands and nods, “We need to be extra careful and fast too. They know a lot about space travel and eventually they’ll detect us.”

The ship gives a slight jolt when they land and they both stand up. Shiro rushes to the hatch before it opens and waits eagerly, bouncing slightly much to Keith’s amusement. The door slides open with a slight hiss and Shiro steps out immediately, taking a deep breath; he never thought he’d miss the dusty smell of the desert.

Keith looks around in wonder, seeing the ship has strategically landed within a small patch of trees. He turns towards Shiro and watches him approach one of the trees, taking a dying leaf into his hand and rubbing it between his fingers. Before he can move any further, Keith grabs his arm, “We need the scanning device,” he reminds him, “and maybe a blaster for you, just in case.”

Shiro nods at that and quickly goes back into the ship, fetching what they need before he joins Keith outside. He smiles widely and turns on the device, it starts beeping steadily and points them in the direction the frequency is coming from, “Let’s do this,” Shiro says confidently before they start heading deeper into the desert.

_____________________________________________________

“Whoa. What?” Hunk exclaims, worry in his voice, as he pulls away from inspecting Pidge’s advanced computer, “Aliens?”

Lance crosses his arms and scoofs, “Okay. So you’re insane,” he says, unimpressed with Pidge’s proof, “Got it.”

“I’m serious,” Pidge says firmly, turning back to their set up and grabbing a note pad with detailed notes and almost childlike sketches, “They keep repeating one word. Voltron,” they says, pointing at the word written on the paper as they show it to the others, “And tonight. It’s going crazier than I have ever heard it.” 

“How crazy?” Lance questions, still rather unsure about all this. Pidge opens their mouth to reply when they spot something in their peripheral vision. They turn their head to see it and gasp when they spot what they assume is a meteor slowly coming down from the sky, except the decent is far too slow and precise.

Pidge is shocked beyond words and Hunk follows their line of sight to see what’s got them so flustered, “Is that a meteor?!” he shouts, pointing at the object as it comes closer to the surface.

Quickly grabbing their high-tech binoculars, Pidge takes a look at the object through them, “It’s a ship,” they declare.

Lance grabs the binoculars so he can see, ending up dragging Pidge toward him since they don’t let go, “Holy shit! I can’t believe what I’m seeing! That’s not one of ours!”

Pidge looks at the night sky in wonder and grins, “No. It’s one of theirs,” they reply excitedly. 

“Wait, there really are aliens out there?” Hunk asks, worried as usual. The trio move closer to the end of the roof and watch the ship land intact on Earth, taking turns with the binoculars. 

Pidge quickly packs up their gear in their backpack and puts it on, “We gotta see that ship!”

Lance doesn’t protest, his expression suddenly serious as he realizes the severity of the situation, and runs behind Pidge, “Hunk, come on!” he calls out when he notices his friend is still standing there. 

“Oh, this is the worst team building exercise ever,” Hunk mumbles to himself as he watches his friends run along the rows of solar panels and towards the elevator, slouching slightly with a frown. He jogs after them anyways, partly because he doesn't want to be left behind and because he needs to protect his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 24 on Friday (4/6)


	24. I’m Not the Alien, You’re the Alien!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Garrison trio investigate the mysterious spaceship and make a shocking discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post this chapter earlier for a good friend who's following my fic! I'm so pumped to post this chapter cause the whole gang is finally back together!! I struggled a bit to have so many characters (cause more than four characters is a lot for me) interacting so I hope it's not too bad. I hope you enjoy!

Lance peeks out from behind a dry, almost dead tree, Hunk and Pidge doing the same, and gasps when he sees the ship perfectly parked in the middle of the patch of forest, the only cover around here for miles. He narrows his eyes and looks around, tiptoeing as he checks for any other sign of life.

Unlike Lance, Pidge walks out normally when they know it’s safe and immediately starts admiring the ship, “Wow, this technology is far more advanced than anything we have,” they touch the exterior of the ship, not recognizing the material it’s made out of, “I wonder what other kind of cool stuff they have.”

“Well there’s no one here and we checked out the ship so I guess we should just head on-” Hunk starts to suggest, noticing that there doesn’t seem to be anyone else inside or around the ship.

“Wait!” Lance cuts him off, “Look down there!” he exclaims, pointing at two sets of footprints heading away from the ship, “The footprints start at the ship and go that way. These are aliens!” 

Pidge turns their attention away from the ship and towards the footprints, crouching down in front of them to inspect them, “Well one of them looks human, but this other one has what looks like three large toes but it walks upright, or maybe just has two limbs?”

“Oh God,” Hunk paces nervously and holds his face in his hands, “We’re going to get killed by a three-toed, possible two-legged, alien and its human slave or something!”

Lance can’t help laugh at that and pats Hunk’s shoulder playfully, “Come on Hunk, there’s only two of them and three of us. And if one of them’s human maybe they’ll take our side,” he follows the trail of footprints, “I say we go find them.”

Pidge nods in agreement and walks alongside the footprints, Lance following along with a reluctant Hunk, “Okay but let’s be extra quiet okay?” 

The trio walk deeper into the desert, all of them thankful for the cool night air and the absence of the hot sun. They make their way around a large rock outcrop and Lance, who’s in the front, suddenly scrambles and gasps when he spots two figures, “Get back!” he whispers frantically, “The aliens!” pushing them all behind the rock in hopes that the strange arrivals didn’t hear them.

_____________________________________________________

The device’s beeping gets slightly faster as they continue to walk; they have to shift their course slightly when indicated to on the screen but so far they’ve been walking for a while with little sense of progress.

Neither of them seem to mind though, Keith marveling at their surroundings and Shiro enjoying being back. Keith points out everything he finds interesting, unable to hold back his excitement, from strangely shaped rock outcrops and the small lizards that he spots every once in a while. 

The readings finally start to get stronger and they’re lead to a shallow crevice at the base of the canyon. When they get close enough, they immediately notice a cave on the inside, “It must be in there,” Shiro says, the device beeping wildly. He turns it off just for now and takes a step toward when they hear a noise behind them followed by hushed whispers.

Keith whips around and takes out his blade immediately, holding it out in front of them, “Show yourself!” he shouts with a stern tone. 

He frowns slightly when Shiro forces him to lower his blade, “Don’t enter an encounter like this already violent. That’ll only mean they’re sure to act the same.” Once Keith has reluctantly put away his blade he calls out, unsure if there’s anything out here besides them anyways, “We come in peace and have no intention of harming you,” he starts, cringing at how cheesy it is, “We are peaceful visitors from space searching for something that was left here. I’m Takashi Shirogane and am from Earth.”

Shiro pauses and waits, holding Keith back when he tries stepping forward, “Let’s just wait for a little bit before we search for them.” Keith sighs at that and nods, staring at the rock he’s positive the sound came from. It takes everything in him to stay still when a person comes out from behind the rock followed by two others, their movements hesitant.

“Are you really ‘the’ Shiro?” the first one calls out, approaching slowly, “The best pilot in the Garrison?”

Shiro blinks in surprise and glances at Keith, shocked that they know who he is, “Yes, that’s me,” he calls out, “Don’t worry, my partner, Keith, here is friendly too.” 

Lance recognizes the voice as Shiro’s and grins, leading his friends closer, “Wow! We all thought you died on the Kerberos mission!” 

Once the group gets close enough, they immediately realize Keith isn’t human, having forgotten about the three-toed footprints in the excitement, “Holy shit! A purple alien!” Hunk shouts as he points at Keith.

“You guys are the aliens in this situation,” Keith shots back, “And yeah, I’m purple. So what?”

“And you have cat ears!” Lance exclaims, “Really big ears!” he points, Pidge and Hunk looking at him in both fear and curiosity. 

Keith frowns deeper and touches his ears self conscientiously, “If anything your ears are too small. And weirdly round.”

Lance touches his ears too and glares at him, “My ears are perfectly normal! They’re great ears even!”

Pidge shakes their head and decides they’ve had enough of this strange argument, “Stop it you two. We have way more important stuff to talk about,” they say, effectively silencing them, and turns toward Shiro, “What happened on the Kerberos mission?” they ask frantically, “My brother and father were on it with you,” their voice drops to a whispers.

Shiro’s eyes widen in realization and he nods slowly, “Oh yeah I remember you, you’re K-”

“Pidge. My name is Pidge,” they cut him off quietly, glancing at Hunk and Lance to make sure they didn’t find that too suspicious, “Do you know what happened to my family?”

Shiro takes a moment to understand the situation and smiles reassuringly, deciding it’s right to let Pidge reveal their secret if they chose to, “I’m afraid I don’t,” he replies sadly, looking down, “All three of us were taken by the Galra Empire, an intergalactic military group whose goal is to conquer the universe. We were separated shortly after and...and I never saw them again.”

Pidge frowns deeply and clenches their fists, “I knew it was more than pilot error,” they mutter to themselves, “Did you even look for them?” they snap, unable to keep their disappointment and anger out of their voice. 

“I did,” Shiro insists, “I promise I did but I couldn’t find them. The Empire is too powerful and we’re working on taking them down, that’s why we’re here.”

“Wait up, hold on,” Lance interjects, waving his hands to stop them, “What are you guys talking about? What’s the Galra Empire? And who’s the ‘we’ in this situation? And what are you even looking for?” he asks, Hunk nodding along in agreement. 

Shiro gives a loud sigh and runs his fingers through his hair, “It’s a really and complicated story and we really don’t have much time to explain it to you,” he mumbles.

“Like Shiro said, the Galra Empire is lead by Zarkon and has conquered a large portion of the universe and oppresses the people that don’t go along with them for ten thousand years. The Empire is mostly made up of Galra, a species that looks a little like me. I’m half Galra and half human,” Keith explains, raising his hand to stop to questions he knows are coming, “Don’t ask. You don’t need to know anything about me. Not all Galra agree with the Empire and we’re part of a group of Galra that fight against them. The Blade of Marmora.”

He takes a breath before continuing, “We’re looking for a weapon that could help us win this war. It’s called Voltron and-”

“I know that name!” Pidge interupts excitedly, “I’ve been monitoring radio chatter and that word is used a lot and-”

“Do you want to know what it is or not?” Pidge nods quickly in response. “It was created by King Alfor, the leader of another species that was killed off by the Galra, before the war started. Voltron is made up of five lions, each piloted by a Paladin, and together they form Voltron.”

The trio try their best to process all this information and Keith runs out of patience quickly, “So now that you know we’re here just don’t tell anyone alright?”

Lance narrows his eyes, “So you’re just going to go on this adventure and leave us here?”

Keith looks up in thought and nods after a moment, “Yeah, pretty much. Go on, shoo,” he says with a wave of his hand. 

“Oh no way,” Lance protests, hands on his hips, “I’m going to come with you to find this Voltron. This is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me here and no way I’m just leaving. Or do you want us to tell on you?”

“I’m sure the Garrison will believe you,” Keith replies, “There’s an purple alien and a pilot that we thought was dead in the desert looking for an alien weapon to fight an intergalactic war,” he mocks, doing a bad imitation of Lance’s voice, “I’m sure they’ll come here right away.”

Shiro places a hand on Keith’s shoulder, “We can’t risk them telling anyone, even if what you’re saying is true. There’s no harm in letting him tag along.”

Keith scoofs and rolls his eyes, “Fine. Let himself get killed,” he mutters.

“I want to come too,” Pidge says firmly, stepping up, “You’re the last person who saw my family alive and my only chance in finding them.”

Neither Keith nor Shiro have any protests, understanding their reasons, and turn their attention toward Hunk, “What about you?” Keith asks as he points.

Hunk’s eyes widen in surprise and he looks at his two friends, “I um...I guess I’ll do with too. Since everyone is going,” he says reluctantly. 

Shiro nods at that and smiles, glad to finally be around other humans again, “Let’s go then,” he says before turning the device back on, “We have to go that way,” he points at the cave.

The group make their way down into the crevice, being careful with where they step since there are loose rocks and uneven ground. Shiro enters the cave first and gasps when he makes out designs carved into the rock covering the walls and ceiling of the cave, “This has to be it,” he says when he sees there are multiple lion carvings, gently tracing one of the designs.

“Wow,” Lance whispers as he looks on in awe, approaching the largest lion carving, “Is this one of the lions you were talking about?” he asks, brushing off some dust covering the figure. He jerks his hand back when the carving suddenly turns bright blue and steps back to see the whole cave is illuminated by the same light.

Quiet gasps and sounds of wonder break the silence and Keith looks at Lance curiously, “How did you do that?” 

Lance shrugs and slowly walks further into the cave, “I don’t know. I just touched it.”

“But I touched one of them too?” Shiro adds, confused, “Was it only that carving that reacts or is it because it reacted to you specifically?” he wonders, following after Lance. 

“I probably know less than you do but it doesn’t really matter,” Lance replies, “Let’s just follow these and see where they lead us.”

“Hopefully to the lion,” Keith says, admiring the works of art on the walls when suddenly cracks form under them, emitting the same blue light as the carvings. Before he can say anything, the ground crumbles under them, bringing all five of them down.

Hunk screams along with the rest of them and tries to grab anything to cling onto to stop himself from sliding down with the water sweeping them down, Pidge somehow having ended up on his shoulders. 

The fall only lasts a few seconds and before they know it, they’re being spit out into a pool of water in a large, cave deeper in the ground. Lance sits up and wipes the water from his face, lifting his head to face a huge, blue lion surrounded by some sort of pulsing energy field, “Holy shit,” he whispers, the intense power of the lion washing over him. 

“Guys! Look at that!” he shouts once he’s overcome his intuition shock, trying to help everyone out of the water.

Keith gasps sharply and grins, “That’s it,” he whispers, “The Blue Lion. One fifth of Voltron,” he declares proudly, wadding his way out of the pond and toward it. 

“I can’t believe we found it,” Shiro replies, following Keith along with the others. 

“God damn, I didn’t think it would be that big,” Lance comments, “Imagine how huge Voltron would be.”

Hunk nods slowly, “Yeah, probably five times bigger than this thing,” he replies, keeping a safe distance. 

“Looks like there’s a force field around it,” Keith comments, “We need to find a way to deactivate it if we are to get it out of here.”

Lance narrows his eyes as he walks and moves from side to side, frowning slightly, “Does anyone else get the feeling this is staring at them?” he asks, only getting a shrug from Pidge, “Yeah. The eyes are totally following me.”

Keith reaches the lion first and touches the force field cautiously, ripples moving along the barrier in reaction to his touch, “I wonder how we get through this,” he ponders.

“Maybe you just have to knock,” Lance suggests, gently hitting the force field twice before a small burst of energy comes out and the barrier disappears. The eyes of the lion turn to a bright yellow, giving Lance the feeling that it woke up after many years of sitting here dormant, and the designs under the lion emit a strong blue light, filling the whole cave.

Lance keeps his gaze locked with the lion and suddenly a vision flashed in front of him, five lions flying up into the sky and coming together in a burst of blinding light to form a huge robot. Suddenly, he’s back in the cave and looks around at the others, “Uh did everyone just see that?”

“Voltron is a robot. Voltron is a huge, huge, awesome robot!” Hunk cries excitedly. 

“Yes well we knew all of that already,” Keith replies, unimpressed.

“It seems that Lance is the only one who can connect with it,” Shiro says, much to Keith’s annoyance, “Perhaps you’re meant to be its Paladin.”

Lance raises his brow and opens his mouth to say something back when the Blue Lion starts to move. He steps back and watches the lion kneel down right in front of them, only making it more obvious how big this thing actually is, and opens its mouth with a quiet mechanical whir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 25 on Tuesday (4/10)


	25. Falling Down the Rabbit Hole (Portal)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance bonds with the Blue Lion with lets her guide them far from Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AhHH five more chapters until the end!! This chapter, and the next few ones, are pretty heavily reliant on canon and I took a lot of direct quotes but don't worry there are differences too. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Once Lance has overcome his initial shock, he chuckles excitedly and walks inside the lion, finding the cockpit rather easily.

He hums curiously as he looks around and sits down in what he thinks is the pilot's chair, “Here we go,” he says cockily. The chair lunges, throwing Lance forward and causing him to hit his head with a surprised scream, and the controls light up all around him. 

The others join Lance in the cockpit and look around, “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Keith mutters, “It doesn’t look like Galra technology.”

Shiro nods in agreement, “That makes sense though, the Alteans made this remember?” 

Some sort of control panel appears in front of Lance and he smiles, “Very nice,” he says when they’re able to see through the screen and into the cave. 

“Okay guys, I feel the need to point out, just so we’re all aware. We are in some kind of futuristic alien cat head,” Hunk says even though everyone is very aware of it.

Keith sighs and rolls his eyes, “Yeah, that’s the whole reason we’re here dude,” he replies, realizing he didn’t even get any of these human’s names. Lance doesn’t register what Keith says and his eyes grow wide, a deep purring filling his mind as his surrounds drop away save for a glowing outline of the cockpit. 

It only lasts a few seconds and when Lance snaps out of it he turns toward Hunk, “Whoa, did you guys just hear that?”

Keith frowns slightly, “Hear what?” he asks suspiciously, still unsure if Lance is meant to be sitting in the pilot’s chair.

“I think it’s talking to me,” Lance tries to explain, his brow knitting together. His eyes turn toward the control panel, the buttons suddenly familiar to him and hums. Lance reaches out and his fingers seem to press a sequence of buttons on their own; he keeps going even as the lion moves under them, the robot sitting up and roaring loudly, the sound almost deafening. 

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!” Keith yells over the other’s screams, “You don’t have the authority to be doing this!”

Lance shrugs him off and grins wickedly, “Okay. Got it. Now let’s try this!” he exclaims as he pushes down on the handles.

Before Keith can protest any further, he’s thrown back from the force of the lion, the robot bursts out of cave, a cloud of dust and rock surrounding them, and it flies out into the open sky. Lance just hold onto the handles and the lion takes control, enjoying the moment despite the screams of his friends, Pidge and Hunk grabbing onto him for dear life. 

The lion flips in the air, using its feet to send out bright, columns of energy that keep it off the ground. It shoots itself into the air and spins wildly, almost seeming like it’s reveling in its new found freedom after being dormant for so long. 

“You are the worst pilot ever!” Keith shouts over everyone else’s screams and eventually the speed at which the lion is going becomes too much for everyone, including Lance, who can’t help feel nauseous. 

Lance get a hold of himself when the lion finds its way back to the ground and sits up in his chair, grinning as he watches it run across the desert, “Isn’t this awesome?” he asks, looking back at Hunk.

“Make it stop,” Hunk pleads, “Make it stop,” he repeats, tears welling up in his eyes as his stomach does somersaults. 

“I’m not making it do anything,” Lance replies, turning his attention back to the screen, “It’s like it’s on autopilot.” The lion suddenly throws itself up and flies up, putting it’s thrusters to full power. 

“Where are you going!” Keith yells, clutching onto Shiro for balance. 

“I said it’s on autopilot. It says there’s an alien ship approaching Earth,” Lance says, his voice turning serious, “I think we’re supposed to stop it.”

Keith frowns deeply and leans forward, trying to read the alien language on the controls to no avail, “Where does it say that?”

Lance shakes his head at that, “It’s not like it’s saying words. It’s more like feeding ideas into my brain, kind of,” he tries to explain, touching his temple. 

“I’m pretty sure the ship belonging to the Galra Empire,” Keith says, pressing his lips together, “They’ve been looking for Voltron too and we got here just in time. Let’s destroy that ship before they reach Earth, unless your people will be in danger.”

Hunk bites back a protest, knowing this is bigger than his fears, and nods silently. Before they know it, the lion is out in space with Earth far behind them. Keith lets out an angry growl when a large Galra ships appears in front of them seemingly out of nowhere, “The Empire.”

Neither Shiro or Keith are fazed, having seen ships like these and bigger countless of times. Pidge, Lance and Hunk however freeze in fear at the sight, “Holy shit, is that really an alien ship?!” Hunk snaps out of his trance.

“Yes, it’s really an alien ship,” Keith replies matter-of-factly, “Now, get the lion to destroy it,” he says to Lance.

Lance looks down at the controls and moves the lion to face the ship, “Come on girl, help me out here,” he mutters.

“Girl?” Pidge questions.

Lance nods firmly, “Of course she’s a girl. She’s a strong, beautiful, blue lady-lion,” he declares, only causing everyone to roll their eyes. He gasps when the ship suddenly starts shooting at them, one blast just narrowly missing them.

“We’ve got to get it out of here!” Pidge shouts.

Lance nods and pulls up on the handles, “Hang on!” he yells, managing to maneuver the lion just well enough to dodge the incoming attack, a strong blast from the thruster moving them out of range.

“Okay, I think I know what to!” Lance exclaims, getting used to the controls and listening to the lion, letting her guide him.

Pidge leans in next to him, “Be careful man!” they warn, “This isn’t a simulator!”

“Well that’s good. I always wreak the simulator,” Lance replies, somehow able to keep up his casual mood, as he brings the lion back to the ship, getting better at avoiding the purple blasts of energy.

Lance grunts as he pushes one handle down and the other one up, a blast similar to those coming from the Galra, except blue, shooting from the lion's mouth and hitting the ship, several explosions damaging it. 

“Let’s try this,” Lance says as he pulls down on the handles, the lion getting close to the ship and dragging its claws along it, causing more explosions. 

Keith nods approvingly and can’t help smile, “Good job. Now finish them off.”

Deciding it’s more important to get the ship far away from Earth, Lance flies out into space, smirking when he sees the ship follows them immediately. He realizes the ship isn’t trying to attack them anymore, assuming it’s because they need the lion intact, and keeps going.

“Whoa we’re super far into space you guys,” Hunk comments, “There’s Kerberos,” he says, pointing at the moon.

Shiro gazes at Kerberos with a sad yet meaningful look, remembering how this all started, and nods, “Galra and Altean technology is much more advanced then what we have on Earth, meaning we can travel great distances in a matter of minutes,” he explains.

Hunk nods slowly, taking it all in, and turns his head when he hears Lance gasp, “What the hell is that?!” he exclaims. Out of nowhere, a huge portal of what looks like swirled space appeared in front of them, strange designs bordered the circle.

“This may seem crazy, but I think the lion wants us to go through there,” Lance says, feeling himself drawn towards the portal. 

“It seems to be some sort of portal,” Keith observes, “I say we go through it. It’ll take us away from the ship,” he says, glancing at Shiro to make sure he’s on board.

Shiro nods slowly and looks down at the rest of them, “This isn’t just our decision to make. You’re all part of this too now,” he says, “So we all have to be on board.”

One by one, Pidge, Hunk and Lance all nod and with that, Lance moves the lion into the portal. They’re enveloped by the strange, space matter and all groan at the intense pressure and speed they undergo. It only lasts a few seconds and the lion pushes through the other side of the portal, spitting them out in another part of the universe, right in front of a large planet that reminds them all of Earth with its green and blue colors.

“Whoa, that was-” Lance mutters, gripping the handles so tightly his knuckles turn white, but he’s cut off by Hunk, who turns around and empties the contents of his stomach on the floor. Lance gags at the smell and turns his head away.

“So sorry,” Hunk manages to say before he vomits yet again. 

“I’m just surprised it took this long,” Pidge adds, pushing up their glasses.

Keith shakes his head and sighs, “Let’s get back on track here, okay? We have to contact our leader to tell him we’ve found one of the lions and bring it back to our headquarters,” he says, “Can you access the lion’s communications?” he asks Lance. 

Lance furrows his brow and plays with the controls for a bit, “It might take me awhile to figure it out.” 

The lion starts moving toward the planet and Keith frowns, “Hey! What are you doing?” he asks rather angrily

Lance looks up and shrugs, “I’m not doing anything,” he replies, “The lion seems to want to go there. I think it’s going home.”

“Let the lion do what it needs to. Perhaps we can find some sort of communications base on the planet,” Shiro says, trying to stay optimistic since he’s noticed that Keith is getting frustrated, “This planet doesn’t seem to be under Galra control and hopefully anyone living here is friendly.”

Keith sighs at that and crosses his arms, “Fine,” he mutters. The lion heads straight down at the planet, its path determined and deliberate, and a field of fire and energy forms around the lion as it enters the atmosphere. 

The group gasps when they break through the clouds, revealing a beautiful landscape of green mountains and pristine looking water, “Wow,” Pidge whispers, “This place looks kind of like Earth. If our planet wasn’t dying due to climate change.”

“Okay, no need to get so dark all of a sudden,” Lance replies, “But yeah, it does kind of like Earth.”

The lion flies above the surface and approaches what seems like the only non-natural structure around. The white castle comes into view, perched on the edge of a cliff looking over a huge body of water, with its main tower and four smaller ones surrounding it. A bridge leads up the castle but it’s obviously in disrepair, many of the supporting pillars incomplete, broken or just missing. 

They all stare in awe at the castle, the white surface and the blue glass reflecting the light, making it seem like it’s shining, “Wow,” they all whispers under their breath. When the lion gets close enough, it signals its arrival with its yellow eyes and the castle seems to respond, the peaks of all five towers illuminating.

“What does that mean?” Hunk asks worriedly, “Is the castle going to attack us?”

Lance pushes him playfully, “I think Blue is communicated with it, letting it know she’s home.” 

“Blue?” Keith questions with a raised brow.

Lance looks back at him with a wide grin, “Yeah! I thought I would name her.”

The lion descends onto the main bridge, that leads right to the main entrance of the castle, large doors at the front of the middle tower designed with some sort of symbol featuring a blue gem of sorts. The five of them make their way out of the lion hesitantly, still on guard about this place. 

Before anyone can say anything, the lion stands and roars loudly, startling them. Keith turns towards the door and sees the outline of the design turn bright blue, “It’s letting us inside,” he says, the door opening. 

Keith and Shiro lead them into the tall, dark corridor, “Hello?” Hunk calls out after a while, his voice echoing through the castle and shrugs when everyone looks at him.

Keith takes out his blade when a light shines down on them from above, the area they’re standing on lighting up, “Hold for identity scan,” a robot voice declares.

“That must be the operating system of the castle,” Keith mutters as the light scans over them. After it’s done, the whole area illuminates, lights turning on down a hallway leading up from the stairs, “It must want us to go that way.”

Keith is the first to go up the stairs and the others follow, looking around as he walks, “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he mutters.

“Well the Alteans have been gone for ten thousand years so it makes sense you don’t recognize anything,” Shiro replies, just as curious about the castle. The lights lead them through several corridors, down a flight of stairs and into a large room, Hunk calls out the whole way there but Keith restrains himself from snapping at him.

The room they’re lead to is odd, with large pillars in a circle and round devices on the floor that also form a circle together, in the center of it all there’s a strange looking stand. Pidge approaches it slowly and furrows their brow, “It’s some sort of control room,” they guess as the control pad lights up with the same symbol from the main door, a type of key pad under it. 

They turn quickly when they hear something whirring behind them, gasping when they see two of the devices on the floor rising up, steam billowing around it, to reveal pods with frosted glass. 

Keith tightens his grip on his blade when he sees there are people inside the pods, only able to see their silhouettes, “What the hell is this?” he growls, “There aren’t supposed to be people in here. I thought you said the Alteans were wiped out years ago?” he asks, looking at Shiro.

“They were supposed to be?” Shiro says, his voice unsure and his brows knitted together, “I have no idea what this is. Stand your ground and be ready to defend yourself,” he orders the group, only causing the others to step back and tremble in fear when the base of one of the pods lights up, the glass started to disappear to reveal the figure inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 26 on Friday (4/13)


	26. A Necessary Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang meets the strange figures trapped in the cryopods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! I'm still in denial that I'll be done posting before May and I'm kinda freaking out because I've been working on this so long I don't what I'll do when this is done. I'm sure I'll figure it out tho. Well, enjoy the chapter!

Everyone freezes when the disappearing glass barrier reveals a woman who looks almost human save for her pointed ears and the pink designs under her eyes. Her long white hair stands out against her dark skin, her blue and white dress long and elegant. 

The stranger’s eyes open with a gasp, “Father!” she exclaims as she suddenly reaches forward. Before she falls, Lance lunges towards her instinctively and catches her. She holds onto his shoulder and lifts her head to look at him, causing the boy to blush. 

“Hello,” he tries to say as smoothly as possible, lifting one eyebrow and smirking. 

The woman looks at him with a confused expression, “Who are you? Where am I?”

“I’m Lance,” he replies with the same tone, “And you’re right here in my arms.”

She frowns slightly and narrows her eyes, “Your ears,” she says seriously.

Lance loses his cool composure and glances to the side, trying to look at his ears to no avail, “Yeah?”

“They’re hideous,” she replies coldy, “What’s wrong with them?” she asks as she pulls back.

“Nothing’s wrong with them!” Lance exclaims defensively, “They heard exactly what you said about them!”

The woman grabs onto his ear, pulling his head back, and his arm at the same time, quickly getting him on his knees and immobilizing him, “Who are you? Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my castle?” she demands angrily as Lance cries out in pain.

She finally looks up to the rest of the group and immediately spots Keith, letting go of Lance and stepping back, “What is a Galran doing in here!” she shouts, trying to hide her fear, “I’ll have you detained immediately!” 

Keith pulls his lips back and bares his teeth, “You will do nothing of the sort!” he growls.

“Anyone working with Zarkon is nothing but an enemy to me!” she shouts back, unsure how to react when she sees the hurt and pain in Keith’s eyes.

Before a fight or worse can break out, Shiro holds his arm in front of Keith, “We’re not working for Zarkon. Keith and I are part of a group fighting to stop the Empire.”

She crosses her arms and doesn’t look away from Keith, wanting to keep him in her sights, “I don’t believe you for one tick. Any Galra must be on his side!”

Keith’s nostrils flare in anger and he would step forward if Shiro wasn’t keeping him back, “You’re making huge assumptions about an entire species!” he yells, “You will never be able to comprehend how much Zarkon made me suffer! I would give my life to take him down.”

The woman relaxes her arms just slightly and purses her lips together, “I’ll deal with you later,” she says menacingly, “Now why are you here? How did you ever get here? I don’t recognize your species,” she asks Shiro.

“We’re humans from Earth, a planet far from here. I was taken by the Empire but escaped with Keith, he was a prisoner too,” he explains much to her surprise, “We’re working with the Blade of Marmora, a group of Galrans that fight against Zarkon, and we came to Earth again to find Voltron. We bumping into these three,” he says as he gestures towards Lance, Hunk and Pidge, “and they joined us. We found the Blue Lion and it flew us here.”

“That’s not possible,” she whispers, “I don’t understand,” she adds as he looks down at the ground.

Shiro looks at her worried, “Maybe it would help us if we knew who you were?”

“I am Princess Allura of Planet Altean,” she replies proudly, “Daughter of King Alfor.”

Shiro furrows his brow and frowns, “But, that’s not possible. The Alteans were wiping out ten thousand years ago, that’s when they seperated Voltron and hide it.”

Allura’s eyes widen at that and she shakes her head, “I...No,” she replies, “That can’t be,” she mutters as she walks to the control stand. She places her hands on it and the surface lights up, a holographic screen appearing above it.

While she taps on the screen to figure out the truth for herself the second pod opens up, revealing a individual of the same species, this one a man with orange hair and a full mustache. He comes to and gasps when he sees Keith, “The Galra have broken into the castle!” he screams as he attacks him.

Keith easily side steps and sighs, guessing he’s going to have to deal with those sorts of reactions often. The man collapses, not able to balance properly yet, and spots Allura, “Princess! Sound the alarm!”

Allura turns to look back at him and sighs, “The Galran claims he isn’t working for Zarkon but I have my doubts. Just keep an eye on him for now, Coran.”

Keith frowns slightly at that and ignores the glare he gets from Coran, “Of course Princess. Who are these other strange creatures?” he asks as he eyes the rest of the group.

“These are humans. They say they found the Blue Lion on their home planet and it brought them here,” Allure replies, “I’m checked to see what happened and how long we’ve been asleep.”

Coran nods and approaches her, stretching out his legs in a rather odd manner. The control stand beeps and Allura gasps, “It can’t be,” she whispers, getting everyone’s attention, “We’ve been asleep for ten thousand deca-phoebs,” she says, memories of war and chaos flooding her mind.

Allura’s head spins and she turns away from the control stand, pressing her hand against her forehead, “Planet Altea and all of the planets in our solar system have been destroying. Coran, father is gone. Our entire civilization,” she whispers, both Alteans in shock, “All because of Zarkon,” she hisses angrily.

She turns toward Shiro and Keith, “You said Zarkon kept you prisoner, he’s still alive? After such a long time?” 

Keith gives a small shrug, “I didn’t think he was that old. It’s probably because of Haggar, his witch, and I’m sure it has something to do with quintessence. That stuff powers their whole Empire.”

Allura frowns at that and shakes her head, “I’m not familiar with Haggar but quintessence is very powerful, if they access to huge quantities only Voltron can stop them completely.” 

Shiro nods in agreement, “We’re well aware of that. That’s why the Blades have been looking for Voltron for so long,” he replies, “We’ve got the Blue Lion but we have to find all five lions before they do.”

Allura opens her mouth to say something when her ear twitches, picking up quiet squeaking noises. She follows the sound and grins when she finds four mice in the pod she was in, “Looks like we’re not the last Alteans after all,” she says happily, tears glazing over her eyes, “They must have been frozen in the pod with me,” she holds out her hands and the mice scurry into her palms.

The mice find a nice cozy spot on her shoulder to settle and Allura turns back to the group, “Now, we need to find the other lions as fast as possible,” she says, going back to the control stand.

Keith frowns and steps in, “Wait, I need to contact the Blades first. We need to update them on this developpement so-”

A blaring alarm cuts him off, the screen turning red and displaying an alert, “A Galra battleship has set its tracker to us!” Coran exclaims, the live feed of the large ship popping up.

Keith curses under his breath and grinds his teeth, “How long do we have?”

Coran furrows his brow as he thinks it over, “At their speed, I’d say probably a couple of quintants.”

Shiro can tell the rest, other than Keith, look confused, “That’s the way they tell time out here. He means a few days,” he translates.

“Oh okay,” Hunk replies, “So what do we do?!” he shouts, suddenly very frantic and worried. 

Keith rolls his eyes at that, “It’s just one battleship and we have enough time to call for backup from the Blades. Meanwhile we can look for the lions and hopefully be able to form Voltron.”

“You five will become their Paladins,” Allura continues, seeming to agree to Keith’s plan, albeit reluctantly, “But before we invite more Galra into my castle, I’ll need to talk to your leader.”

Keith holds back an angry response at her tone and nods, taking a small device and holding it out to her, “Have your system extract the data and use it to contact the Blades. I’ll need to talk to them first though.”

Allura takes the device from him and sighs, “Fine,” she mutters, inserting it into the control stand and waiting for a moment while it scans it. She steps aside and lets Keith stand in front of it, waiting for a moment for Kolivan’s face appears on the screen.

“Keith, do you have an update on the mission?” he asks, his face as stoic as usual.

Keith nods curtly, “I do sir, but it’s rather complicated. During our search for the lion, three humans found us but they were friendly. We explained our mission and they insisted on coming with us for various reasons,” he starts, “We found the Blue Lion and one of the humans seems to be its Paladin, being the only one able to connect with it. We realized a Galra battleship was coming to Earth and used the lion to attack it and escape. It seems they’ve found a way to track Voltron as well.”

Kolivan exhales slowly and nods, taking everything in, “So the mission was a success. Good job to the both of you,” he replies, “Are you able to bring the lion back or will you need assistance?”

Keith glances at Allura and Coran, who are out of the shoot, and sighs, “It’s become more complex than that. The lion got away from the battleship by going through a wormhole of sorts that brought us to another part of the universe. The most surprising thing though is that we’ve found a castle build by the Alteans on the planet, it seems to be the home of the lion, with two Alteans still alive.”

The Galra’s eyes widen, an expression of disbelief on his face, “How is that possible? Have you talked to the Alteans?”

“They were frozen in some sort of cryosleep for ten thousand deca-phoebs,” Keith explains, “One of them is Princess Allura, daughter of King Alfor. She’s willing to join the fight against Zarkon and help us find the rest of the lions but she needs to talk to you before making such an alliance. I have to warn you, she’s rather wary of Galrans,” he says, trying to use delicate language. 

Kolivan swallows thickly and nods, “I will speak to her and hopefully we can get past our differences. You’ve done a fine job.”

Keith can’t help smile at that, seeing Kolivan as a father figure of sorts, and steps out of the way to let Allura up. She holds her head high and clears her throat, “You can understand why I’m unsure about forming an alliance with a Galran organization,” she says simply, “It was your people that destroyed my civilization and killed off all my people.” 

Kolivan gives her a cold look, “Your anger should be toward Zarkon and his Empire, not all Galrans. You seem to forget, the first people he oppressed were his own. He has ruthlessly killed any Galran unwilling to go along with his plans,” he replies, although his tone his calm and collected, there’s anger brewing underneath, “The Blade of Marmora have existed for as long as the Empire and we’ve fought against it. I assure you, not all Galrans participate in their crimes.”

Allura purses her lips and crosses her arms as he talks, looking away from his piercing gaze every once in a while as she’s forced to rethink her stance, “I’m still unsure about all this...but if this alliance is necessary to beat Zarkon then so be it. I will be able to track down the rest of the lions with Keith and Shiro and the humans but we need assistance from you. A Galra battleship has locked onto our location and they’ll be here in a few quintants; I’m unsure if we’ll be able to form Voltron in that time.”

“I understand, Princess. If you send us your location we’ll send help as quickly as possible,” Kolivan replies, “While we do that, search for the other lions and update me on your progress.”

Allura nods in agreement and thanks him reluctantly before she ends the communication. She turns towards the group and takes a deep breath, “Let’s go to the bridge and then I can find the lions.”

“How are you going to do that? Do you have the coordinates?” Pidge asks curiously as they follow her.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Allura says with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 27 on Tuesday (4/17)


	27. A Rocky Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They start their search for the rest of the lions and the tension between Keith and Allura only gets worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this chapter is a bit shorter than the rest (about 6 pages) and that's because I had to cut some larger chapters in half to get to an even thirty (there's no way I would have kept it as 29 chapters that's just so unnerving). There's a lot of canon in here but some new stuff too so I hope you enjoy it!

The bridge is an even larger space than the sleep chamber, a huge crystal hanging from the ceiling that strikes awe into all of them. Allura steps into the platform under the crystal and closes her eyes, a bright light shining down onto her from the crystal. 

Lance leans over and whispers to Coran, “What is she doing?” he’s as quiet as possible since he can tell this is an important moment.

“King Alfor connected the lions to Allura’s life force,” Coran explains, “She alone is the key to the lion’s whereabouts.”

Allura focuses for a moment and when she opens her eyes, a hologramic map of constellations and coordinates bursts from her center and fills the entire room. Everyone gasps at the sight and looks around at the beautiful expand of space, “These are coordinates,” Pidge says, noticing a marker for two lions floating near them, “The Black Lion looks like it’s in the same location as the Blue Lion.”

Coran pops up next to them, “Look at your primitive synapses firing away in their little brain cage!” he exclaims.

“Very observant,” Allura adds, “That’s because the Black Lion is in the castle.”

“To keep Black Lion out of Zarkon’s hands King Alfor locked it in the castle,” Coran continues, “It can only be freed if the other four lions are present.”

“As you have found, “Allura says with a glance to Lance, “the lions choose their pilots. It is a mystical bond and cannot be forced. The quintessence of the pilot is mirrored in their lion. Together, they form something greater than science can explain,” she explains, “We need to gather the lions as fast as possible and we need Paladins, so I’ll assign each of you with a lion and hopefully they’ll choose you too.”

She waves her hand and pulls up the profile of the black lion, letting it make its way to Shiro, “The Black Lion is the decisive head of Voltron. It will take a pilot who is a born leader and in control at all times, someone whose men will follow without hesitation.”

Shiro watches as the Black Lion hologram stops right in front of him and he swallows thickly. “That is why, Shiro you will pilot the Black Lion,” Allura decides and, although Shiro is unsure if she’s really right, he nods anyways. 

“The Green Lion has an inquisitive personality,” Allura continues, waving her hand again to turn the hologram and brings up the location of the Green Lion, “and needs a pilot of intellect and daring.”

Pidge smiles as the hologram of the lion stops in front of them, “Pidge, you will pilot the Green Lion.”

“The Blue Lion-”

“Hold up. Let me guess,” Lance interupts her with a smirk, “Takes the most handsome slash best pilot of the bunch?”

Allura stares at him blankly and decides to just move on since it’s pretty much known that Lance is the Blue Lion’s Paladin, “The Yellow Lion is caring and kind,” she says with a gentle smile, “It’s pilot is one who puts the needs of others over their own,” she waves her hand again and the hologram turns to bring the location of the Yellow Lion in front of Hunk.

“Their heart must be mighty. As the leg of Voltron, you will lift the team up and hold them together.” Hunk looks at the lion in surprise, unsure he’s meant to be its Paladin, and points at himself with a questioning grunt. Allura gives a reassuring nod, “You will pilot the Yellow Lion, Hunk.”

Keith is very aware that he’s the last person left and Allura hesitates, giving Keith a suspicious look, “Well we need a Paladin for the Red Lion and I suppose you fit, but I’m unsure about letting a Galra pilot it. Especially since my father was its Paladin.”

“How about we let the lion decide then?” he spits out, “Maybe it’ll be more inclusive than you.”

Allura frowns and holds herself back from replying to his comment, “The Red Lion is temperamental and the most difficult to master. It’s faster and more agile than the others, but also more unstable. Its pilot needs to rely more on instincts than skills alone,” she says, finally letting the hologram float toward Keith.

Shiro laughs softly and nudges him, “That definitely sounds like you. Temperamental and unstable,” he jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

Keith cracks a smile and rolls his eyes, “Come on,” he mutters.

Allura shakes her head and sighs, “Unfortunately, I cannot locate the Red Lion’s coordinates yet. There must be something wrong with the castle. After ten thousand deca-phoebs it may need some work.”

Keith raises his brow when the lion from his hologram starts moving and runs through the air along with the other lions, “Once all the lions are united, you will form Voltron,” Allura says as the lions fly in formation and with a burst of light, they form Voltron, the huge hologram fading slowly. 

“We don’t have much time,” Shiro says, “Pidge and I will go after the Green Lion. Lance, you take Hunk and get the yellow one,” he turns to look at Keith, “You should stay here. If Allura and Coran locate the red lion, go after it.”

Keith and Allura both look uncomfortable about staying behind together but they nod anyways, “Good plan. Meanwhile, Coran and I will get the castle’s defenses ready and make repairs.”

“I’ll rig a pod and load the coordinates so that you can reach the Green Lion,” Coran explains, “And Lance and Hunk can take the Blue Lion.”

Shiro can tell Keith isn’t too happy about the situation and approaches him, wrapping his arms around his waist, “It’ll be fine,” he whispers so only he can hear, “I’ll be safe and we’ll be back before you know it.”

Keith leans into the hold and sighs, “You know that’s not what I’m worried about,” he looks down at his chest, too focused on Shiro to notice everyone staring.

“I know darling,” Shiro says with a tender smile, “Just stand your ground but don’t be too aggressive okay? We need to stay on good terms with the Alteans if this alliance is going to work.” Keith’s expression softens and he nods, standing on his toes so he can peak Shiro’s lips quickly. 

“Whoa!” Lance shouts, startling the couple, “What the fuck was that?!”

The two look around to see everyone staring at them, with varying expressions of shock and, unsurprisingly, disgust, mainly from Allura though. Shiro pulls away and clears his throat, “Oh um sorry, kind forgot you guys were there,” he mutters.

Keith gives him a questioning look and shakes his head, “You don’t need to apologize. We are mates and mild displays of affection are completely acceptable,” he says firmly, locking eyes with Allura.

“Mates?” she whispers in horror, looking as if she’s going to throw up.

“Mates!?” Hunk shouts.

Keith nods slowly and frowns, “Yes, partners for life if you prefer that.”

“I know what it means but that word is just so…” Hunk drifts off, managing to calm down a bit.

“Ew,” Lance finishes his senstance.

Shiro can’t help laugh, “I understand, it took me some time to get used to the word. But yes, Keith and I are in love so don’t freak out if we do stuff like that again.”

“Man, you’re probably the first human that’s ever fucked an alien,” Lance says with disbelief, “I wanted to be the first!” he exclaims, only half joking.

Keith shots him a glare and crosses his arms, opening his mouth to make a comment about how Lance will probably die a virgin when Coran decides it’s time to defuse the situation, “Okay! Well now that we’ve sorted through all that let's get to finding the lions! We don’t have much time you know,” he says with a wave of his hand. 

Even though everyone has countless questions, the two pairs follow Coran to the Blue Lion bay and then the Flight Pod Bay, leaving Allura and Keith alone. They glance at each other for only a second before Allura looks away. Keith sighs as she busies herself on the control pad and just decides to keep his distance, staying silent until Coran comes back.

Keith looks through the glass and smiles faintly as he watches the Blue Lion and the pod fly out into space, hoping Shiro will have an easy time retrieving the Green Lion. 

Allura steps under the crystal and Keith raises his brow when two curved pillars rise up from the floor, reaching her waist. She places her hands on either pillar and the tops light up at the touch. Allura sighs quietly and closes her eyes, focusing her energy and drawing power from the crystal above her. She smiles faintly as she forms two wormholes, one leading to the Yellow Lion and the other to the Green one.

“We can only keep the wormholes that lead to the other lions open for two of your Earth hours, so you’ll have to be quick about your work,” Coran explains through the intercom, “The good news is that according to my readings, both planets are relatively peaceful. So if you do get stuck, they could be relaxing places to live out the rest of your lives. Well enjoy the trip!”

Unsurprisingly, Lance, Hunk and Pidge start to panic, “Wait! What? No!” Lance protests.

“I did not receive the memo on this,” Hunk says just as they pass through the wormholes with a blast of light, Keith watching it projected on the screens. 

He sighs once the wormholes disappear and looks at Coran, “Shiro better come back in one piece,” he mutters with an almost threatening tone. 

Allura opens her eyes and the light from the crystal fades, “Don’t worry,” she replies instead, “I’m sure your...mate will be back safe,” she says with a strained tone, distaste lacing her voice. 

Keith grinds his teeth, “Why can’t you just get over the fact that I’m Galra?! And what’s your deal with me being with Shiro? I’ve seen lots of interspecies relationships before and the products of them too!” he shouts, “Hell! I’m a product of one!”

“Your people wiping out my family! My whole species!” Allura yells back just as loud, her face turning red, “And I don’t care about relationships between different species but I do care if a Galran is involved!”

“What because I’ll spread the evil to Shiro and our child if we have any!?” Keith shots back and even though he doesn’t get a reply from her, he knows he’s right, “Zarkon and his Empire aren’t my people! My people are the Blade of Marmora and we stand against what they did to the Alteans and everyone else. You know, you’re not the only one who has suffered!” 

Keith doesn’t give Allura time to respond before he storms off and heads out of the bridge, not really knowing where he’s going. He loses track of time while he wanders around, letting off steam by running through the hallways aimlessly, and when he’s finally calmed down he realizes he should go back, unsure if the two hours are up or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 28 on Friday (4/20)


	28. Not Everything is Black and White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Allura have a conversation that isn't just yelling back and forth and it's just in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AYY HAPPY 4/20!! (I say, a person who has only smoked weed once in his life) This is one of my favorite chapters and I hope you enjoy it too!

Since Keith didn’t pay much attention to where he was going, it takes him a while to find his way back but eventually he starts recognizing things and backtracks. Allura barely glances in his direction when he comes back into the room and sees there’s still some time. 

He approaches Coran, who’s currently working on getting their defenses up, and clears his throat to get his attention. 

“Ah Keith, what do you need my boy?” Coran asks, twirling the ends of his moustache. 

Keith smiles at that, appreciating that Coran is trying to be friendly even though he’s in the same boat as Allura, “I need to talk to Kolivan again, the leader of the Blades. Could you get in contact with him again?”

“Of course,” Coran replies with a nod, easily contacting Kolivan again. 

Keith stands in front of the screen and smiles a bit when Kolivan’s face pops up, “Hello sir, I just wanted to update you on our search for the lions.”

“Go ahead Keith,” he replies.

“Shiro and Pidge, one of the humans who may become the Paladin of the Green Lion, are searched for the lion and the two other humans, Lance and Hunk, are out searching for the Yellow Lion,” he explains, “The Black Lion is already in castle and Allura thinks Shiro could be its Paladin but we can’t know for sure until we try.”

Kolivan nods slowly and sighs, “What about the Red Lion?”

“Oh yes, well we don’t have the coordinates for it yet but as soon as we do I will go search for it,” he replies, “I will be the one to try to become its Paladin,” he says rather proudly. 

“It seems you have everything under control there,” Kolivan says, “We’re currently preparing a group of Blades to send to help you. Is there anything else you need to speak about?”

Keith glances at Allura and sees she’s busy so he decides to take the risk, “Yes actually, but it doesn’t have to do with the mision. How is Akira doing?” he asks quietly.

A faint smile spreads over Kolivan’s lips at the question, “Akira is doing fine. They miss you but Regris is taking good care of them. Would you like to see them? I can call Regris here.”

Keith hesitates for a moment before nodding, “Yes, I’d really like that,” he replies, having missed Akira more than he thought he would. Kolivan tells him to wait while he fetches Regris and he does, rather impatiently though.

After a few minutes, Regris comes into the shot and Keith grins when he sees Akira, the child seeming happy and comfortable in the man’s arms, “Hey Regris, how are you doing?” he asks, feeling like he needs to at least acknowledge him. 

“I’m doing well. Kolivan told me what’s happening with your mission,” he replies. He turns Akira so the baby can see the screen, “Look Akira, say hi to your dad.”

Akira recognizes Keith right away and squeals happily, flailing their arms; they obviously missed Keith just as much, “D-Dada!” they exclaim.

Both Keith and Regris gasp at that, “Can you say that again? Say ‘Dada’?” Keith asks excitedly, wanting to make sure he didn’t imagine his child’s first word.

“Dada!” Akira says again, giggling happily.

“That was great Akira,” Keith praises, feeling ecstatic, “Oh I wish your father were here so he could hear it too.”

Regris nods at that and hums, “Well you can call me again when Shiro gets back so he can hear too,” he suggests. 

The baby hasn’t completely learned how screens work yet so they try to reach out but their hand goes right through the screen. Akira frowns slightly and makes a confused noise, trying to reach Keith.

“I’m worry sweetheart but I’m not actually there,” Keith replies sadly, the baby’s actions tugging at his heart strings, “You can only hear and see me.”

Akira whines after a few more tries and seems to understand the situation, nuzzling back against Regris but keeping their eyes on Keith, babbling quietly and saying ‘Dada’ every once in a while. 

“Oh God, I miss you very much Akira. And so does Papa,” Keith says, “But we’ll be back soon, once the mission is over. And the first thing I’ll do is give you big hug.” Akira giggles in response and claps their hands, their ears perked up excitedly. 

By now, both Alteans have noticed Akira’s presence and have been watching curiously. Allura can’t help herself and walks over to Keith slowly, “Is that...your baby?” she asks hesitantly. 

Keith’s smile falters slightly, not wanting to hear what Allura has to say about this, “Yes, their name is Akira.”

Allura is in the shot and the child looks at her in interest, tilting their head and pointing, “Ah! Ah!” they say, trying to show Regris the new person. 

“Well, they’re very adorable,” she admits, “Is Shiro the father? I’d expect your child to look more human since you are only half Galra.”

Keith frowns deeply at the comment and is unsure what he should reply at first but he knows if he tells the truth it might make Allura understand that the Empire hurts their own kind too, “No, Shiro is not the biological parent but he is raising him with me so for all intents and purposes I consider him to be Akira’s father too.”

Allura furrows her brow and is about to say something but Keith beats her to it, “I should go now Regris. It was nice talking to you,” he says, “Bye-bye Akira, I’ll see you soon, okay?” he says with a wave.

Akira gargles and waves back, “Bye Dapa!” Keith grins and waves a bit more before he ends the call, letting out a soft sigh. 

He glances at Allura and crosses his arms, able to tell she’s just dying to ask more questions, “Go ahead and ask. I can tell it’s killing you.”

Allura looks down in shame but she can’t help herself, “If Shiro isn’t the father, then who is?”

Keith looks out the window, staring deep into space, “I have some guesses but I’ll probably never know for sure,” he mutters.

“What do you mean by that?” Allura asks quietly, “How can you not know?” she adds, unsure if she wants to know the answer. 

“I wasn’t a willing participant during Akiras’s conception,” Keith replies after a moment, choosing his words carefully.

Allura’s eyes widen in realization and her stomach turns, “You mean…?” she whispers, unable to finish her question.

Keith’s eyes glaze over and he sighs shakily, nodding slowly, “Yes. You may not be aware of it, but the Empire has a huge sexually slavery industry that they fully support. Most are low level Galrans and half breeds but there’s a lot of other species too,” he explains, “I happened to be one of Zarkon’s personal slaves but that didn’t stop him from passing me around. That’s why I don’t know who Akira’s father is and why I wasn’t willing,” he finishes, finally turning to look back at Allura.

Her body trembles slightly and she covers her mouth with her hand, “Keith, that’s horrible,” she whispers, “I had no-”

“I did tell you, we all suffer under the Empire,” Keith cuts her off, “Galrans too. I hope you understand now.”

Allura lowers her hand and frowns deeply, feeling guilt wash over her, “I’m sorry, for assuming you and your organization were working with Zarkon. It’s difficult for me to think otherwise with everything that’s happened so it’ll take a while for me to accept this war isn’t black and white,” she admits quietly, “But I promise I’ll try my best.”

Keith smiles faintly and nods at that, satisfied for now, “That’s all we need for this alliance to work.”

“Princess!” Coran exclaims, getting their attention; until now he’s been listening to their conversation without saying anything but the two hours are almost up, “We only have four doboshes until the wormholes close. Shiro and Pidge just came through but Lance and Hunk are still on the other side.”

Keith sighs in relief when he hears Shiro is safe and the doors behind him beep to reveal the two of them. He grins and rushes over to Shiro, hugging him tightly, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Shiro chuckles and holds him close against his chest, “Me too,” he replies, pulling back after a moment.

“So how did it go?” Keith asks curiously.

Shiro smiles and glances at Pidge, “Pretty good. We bonded and got the Green Lion,” he explains, “It turns out Pidge is its Paladin,” Shiro adds as he looks up at Allura. 

Allura smiles and congratulates Pidge, who’s grinning proudly. 

“So how did it go over here?” Shiro asks Keith, hoping the tension between him and Allura has been resolved. 

“It was a bit difficult at first but we managed to work it out,” Keith replies, “Allura and I have come to understand each other.”

“I’m glad, I was worried about that,” Shiro says, turning back to Allura, “Are the others not back yet?”

Allura’s smile fades and she turns to the control screen, “Unfortunately no, they still have time but they need to hurry. Hopefully they’ll be back in time.” 

The minutes counting down to the closing of the wormhole are tense and silent as they wait, “The wormhole just closed,” she says quietly, too distracted by that to mention the fact that she’s successfully located the Red Lion thanks to Coran’s repairs. 

The whole group lets out a sigh of relief when they hear the door beep and turn around to see Lance and Hunk walking into the room, rubbing their aching heads and sore muscles.

“You made it,” Allura says with solace, the pillars behind her sinking back down into the floor.

Lance stretches his arm out and scoofs, “Yeah, just barely. That was a nightmare,” he complains, “I almost puked out there. I felt like Hunk!”

“Think how I felt,” Hunk replies, holding the side of his head, “I am Hunk.”

“Yeah. We had a tough time, too,” Pidge says, giving Shiro a sheepish grin. 

Shiro returns the smile and looks up at Allura, “Did we find the Red Lion yet?”

“Allura just located it. There’s a bit of good news and bad news,” Coran replies as he steps forward, hands on his hips, “The good news is the Red Lion is nearby. The bad news is it’s on board that Galra ship now orbiting Arus. But wait, good news again. We’re Arus!”

“They’re here already!” Shiro asks urgently.

“The Galra got a hold of one of the lions?” Keith’s question overlapping with Shiro’s. 

“Yes to both of those. We’re unsure how they got it and my calculations were a bit off,” Coran admits, “Finger counting-it’s more of an art than a science.”

Coran hums in surprise when he hears static behind him and turns to see the screen protecting a Galra soldier with large ears and a red device covering one of his eyes. 

“Princess Allura, this is Commander Sendak of the Galra Empire,” he announces, “I come on behalf of Emperor Zarkon, Lord of the Known Universe. I am here to confiscate the loins. Turn them over or I will destroy your planet.”

Keith’s face is sheet white, well as white as it can be with purple skin, and he swallows thickly, “Fucking Sendak. We have to be careful with that guy,” he mutters, glad no one asks how he knows him, “We need to contact the Blades to tell them the Empire is already here.”

“We need to come up with a plan as soon as possible,” Shiro says before anyone can panic, “Allura, does this castle have any defenses?”

“Yes, we have a partial barrier,” Allura replies before she works to turn it on, “but it won’t hold off forever.”

“We only have three functioning lions but we need to stay here and fight,” Keith says, “We need the Red Lion and hopefully the Blades will arrive in time. We can’t let them destroy yet another planet.”

Shiro agrees with Keith but decides they need everyone to agree, “Is everyone okay with this plan?” Although some of them hesitate, one by one they nod in agreement. 

“Good, let’s call the Blades and figure out a plan of attack. And quick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 29 on Tuesday (4/24)


	29. You Can’t Force a Friendship (Most of the Time)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Paladins need to find the Red Lion, and fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god this is the second to last chapter ahh!! It all went by so fast! This is a longer chapter to make up for last times shorter one. Enjoy!

“Does everyone understand the plan and their roles?” Allura asks, satisfied when she gets a chorus of nods.

“Unfortunately, the Blades I sent probably won’t arrive on time, at least not until the end,” Kolivan says, projected on the screen, “I have told them to keep going in case you need back up.”

Allura sighs softly and nods at that, “I understand. Your help is still appreciated.” Kolivan bids them good luck before ending the call. 

Allura leads the group down to a smaller room housing five pods forming a semi-circle and inside each of them is a suit, one for every lion, “Your suits of armor,” she declares. Each Paladin finds their respective suit, looking at them in awe, but Keith seems unsure. 

“Is it necessary for me to wear mine?” Keith aks hesitantly, “I prefer my Marmora suit and being a Blade is just as important to me as being a Paladin.” 

Allura frowns slightly at that, “The suits are meant to demonstrate that you are part of one team and the team is more important that one individual,” she replies bitterly. 

Shiro overhears the conversation and puts a hand on his shoulder, “There’s no reason why you can’t be a Blade and a Paladin but maybe it’s best to wear this suit when you’re piloting the lion.”

Keith nods at that and heads over to the pod but he still feels strange and rather uncomfortable while changing into the Paladin suit; it’s bulkier than he’d like and restricts his movement more than the Marmora suit but Keith decides to deal with it for now, not wanting to do anything to anger Allura.

Allura presses her hand against a blue screen that covers a shelf, revealing only four bayards, “The bayard is the traditional weapon of the Paladins of Voltron,” she says as they rise up and float to their respective Paladins, “It takes a distinct shape for each Paladin.”

Hunk takes a hold of his bayard and gasps when it transforms into a huge, heavy gun but he barely strains to hold it up. Keith smiles when his transforms into a sword, “I can definitely work with this,” he chuckles, smiling wider when a shield forms from the armor of his other hand. 

Lance laughs as he shows off his blaster, holding it up and pointing it around the room while he closes one eye. Pidge’s is happy to see their bayard is small and light, easily swinging the pointing blade. 

“Aw you got a cute little bayard,” Lance mocks. Pidge frowns and hits the blade against Lance’s side, smirking when he screams and collapses, having been electrocuted. 

“Yeah, it is pretty cute,” they say proudly. 

Shiro is incredibly aware that he didn’t get a bayard and turns to Allura for an explanation, “Shiro, I’m your bayard was lost with its Paladin.” 

“I guess I’ll just have to make do,” Shiro says while he raises his Galra arm, knowing it’ll do just fine as a substitute

_____________________________________________________. 

Once Shiro, Keith and Pidge get word from Lance and Hunk that they’re approaching the Galra battleship head on, they bring the Green Lion from behind a cluster of floating asteroids and head toward the ship from behind, making sure to stay hidden while Hunk and Lance pretend to give themselves up.

The Green Lion lands on the underside of the battleship and the three of them get out of the lion, using the packs on their back to maneuver around in space. Pidge activates their bayard and uses it to cut a large circle into the metal, the circle pops out and floats off behind them.

Shrio enters the ship first, followed by Keith and then Pidge, and make their way down to a large space with strange bolts of purple electricity that span from the ceiling to the floor, pumping energy into pointed containers far larger than them. 

“Pidge, what’s your ETA?” Lance asks through the intercom.

“We’re in,” Pidge says quietly, not wanting to alert anyone of their presence even though there doesn’t seem to be any Galra near them.

Lance and Hunk barely dodge the tracker beam and Sendak figures out they were lying about giving themselves up, immediately sending out fighters. While Lance attacks the fighters, easily destroying them with a laser from the Blue Lion’s mouth, Hunk works to dismantle the ion cannon. 

Hunk flies the Yellow Lion right toward the ion cannon but before he crashes into it, he hits something and is launched back. He looks up to see a purple barrier flicker around the cannon before disappearing again, “What is this? Some sort of force field?”

Keith focuses his mind on connecting with the Red Lion, seeking it out mentally even though he’s not ever sure if it would want him as its Paladin, while he, Shiro and Pidge make their way through the corridor. He hears footsteps approach and quickly leads them away from them, turning a random corner. 

Every hallway and turn looks exactly the same and Keith isn’t familiar with this ship so he keeps finding himself returning to the same large door. After the third time, Keith growls in frustration, “You have gotta be kidding me!”

Shiro’s, who been letting Keith lead the way by himself until now, decides to intervene before Keith gets too worked up. He puts his hand on his shoulder and smiles reassuringly, “Remember, patience yields focus,” he says, “Just breathe deeply, close your eyes and reach out with your mind.”

Keith’s shoulders relax and he nods a bit, letting his eyes close. He gasps when he sees flashes of inside of the ship, the images showing him the path to the Red Lion. Keith opens his eyes and grins, “This way,” he says, turning around and running with purpose, knowing exactly where he needs to go. 

Keith finds the Red Lion suspended in a large room with its barrier still around it. He sighs in relief and runs up to it, “Bingo,” he says satisfied and presses his hand against the barrier, “Let’s get out of here. Open up.”

A good few seconds pass but nothing happens, “It’s me. Keith. Your buddy,” he insists, frowning slightly when the barrier stays, “It’s me! Keith! Your-I am your Paladin!” 

“Keith, I don’t know if that’s the right way of doing this,” Shiro comments when Keith starts shouting and knocking on the barrier rather hard. 

Keith is about to reply when an onslaught of lasers interrupts him, a group of sentries having found them. He quickly pulls up his shield and Shiro and Pidge stand behind him, protected as well.

“I’m bonding with you!” Keith yells over the sounds of the blasters, “Hey! Come on! We’re connected!” he shouts even though he’s doubting whether he’s meant to be a Paladin. Maybe Allura was right about a Galran being part of Voltron being a bad idea. 

Keith watches as Shiro and Pidge start fighting off the sentries and decides to join them, activating his sword and swinging it through a sentry, “You’re not getting this lion!” 

No matter how many sentries the three of them cut through, more just keep on coming and Keith knows time is running out. In his trademark burst of impulsivity, Keith smashes his elbow against the main button on the control panel near him.

The hanger under them opens and sucks the sentries into space but thankfully the three of them manage to hold onto the edge. Shiro doesn't have time to question Keith’s rash decision when a large piece of debris hits him and Pidge, causing them to let go and get sucked into space. 

Keith manages to cling on and stares at the Red Lion, groaning as he strains against the force of the vacuum. He gets hit by a piece of metal being sucked out and cries out as he spins through space, panting heavily.

“We need to call Hunk or Lance to come get us,” Shiro says, about to do so when he sees the Red Lion flying out of the hanger. 

It envelops the three of them in its mouth and Keith grins, “I really am meant to be a Paladin!” 

“No kidding dork, now get in the chair,” Shiro says teasingly. Keith nods at that and sits down in the pilot’s chair.

It brings him up in the cockpit and he grabs onto the handles, “Good kitty. Let’s roll,” he says before he flies it to where they left the Green Lion, letting Pidge get back inside it before they head off to where Hunk and Lance are still defending against fighters and trying to take down the ion cannon.

Repeated attempts to break through the barrier fail miserably and only cause Hunk more nausea. Soon enough he realizes using the lion itself isn’t going to work and instead decides to use the lions weapons. He aims a steady laser coming from the Yellow Lion’s mouth at the barrier, “Come on, just break, you stupid thing,” he groans impatiently.

The barrier starts to crack and eventually it breaks apart in a burst of dust, “Score one for Hunk!” he exclaims as he flies toward the cannon. Hunk uses his lion’s armor to smash against the cannon, easily disfiguring it. 

Hunk looks up to see the Green and Red Lions flying above him and grins, “You guys made it!”

“Kitty Rose has left the stage!” Pidge says back.

“Let's get the heck out of here,” Lance says, relieved he doesn’t have to keep defending against fighters.

Hunk launches his lion into space, following after them, “I hope I stopped that cannon. I could barely made a dent in it.” The three lions fly back down to Arus and into the castle, ready to awaken the Black Lion.

_____________________________________________________

Keith insisted on being next to Shiro when he awakens the Black Lion, wanting to experience the important moment with him. He holds his hand tightly as they stand in front of the large door, the four other lions sitting behind them in formation.

One by one, each lion’s eyes light up to a bright yellow and once they’re all glowing, the symbol on the door lights up. The door rumbles and Keith gasps when it lifts up, slowly revealing the Black Lion to them. 

It awakens, its eyes yellow as well, and lets out a loud roar, the other four lions returning the call. Shiro lets go of Keith’s hand and makes his way up the steps, breaking into a run when the alarm starts to blare, alerting them of an oncoming attack. 

“Sendake is entering the Arusian atmosphere!” Allura shouts over the loudspeaker, “We need Voltron now!” 

Shiro enters the Black Lion through its mouth and sits down in the pilot’s chair, sighing in relief when it moves and brings him into the cockpit. He grabs onto the handles and when he sees Keith is in his lion too, he flies up into the tunnel and out the main peak of the castle, the others close behind him. Whether they’re ready to fight the Galra head on or not, they’re going to have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> I'll post chapter 30 on Friday (4/27)


	30. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle has begun and the Paladins are woefully unprepared, thankfully they have friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter ahHH!! I'm sorry I didn't post this yesterday but I forgot because I went to a party and got lit so I've been dealing with a hang over this whole day. The last chapter is short and sweet and wraps up the fic nicely while also tying in the beginning of the show and leaving room for imagination on the reader's side of things. I hope you enjoy!

Explosions are already wreaking havoc on the particle barrier around the castle, the ground rumbling from the force of the blasts. The lions land on the ground in formation and the Paladins look up above them to see a seemingly endless stream of fighters shooting down at the castle, thankfully being held off by the barrier for now. 

Before any of them have time to prepare, a huge blast of purple energy coming from the ion cannon hits the particle barrier. It envelops it in a sphere of fire and sends shock waves in all directions, all of them groaning as they hold tight, only able to wait out the effects of the blast.

The fire fades and the rumbling stops, letting them see out through the barrier again, “Man, those Galra guys repair things fast,” Hunk comments when he’s able to see they’ve already fixed the ion cannon. 

“The barrier gets weaker with every blast,” Coran says to Allura, the others able to hear him through the intercom, “Once that shield goes down, the castle will be defenseless.”

“I can give you cover with the castle’s defenses for a while, but you have to form Voltron now or we’ll all be destroyed!” Allura exclaims urgently. 

“Jeez, no pressure,” Hunk mutters, trying to lighten the mood. Another blast hits them and the barrier starts to flicker as it weakens even more. 

Once everyone has recovered from the blast, Shiro decides to take charge, feeling he should as the leader of Voltron, “The only way to succeed is to give it all you’ve got! This looks bad, but we can do this! Are you with me?”

The rest of them nod in unison but, of course, they can’t see each other, “I’m nodding. Is everyone else nodding?” Hunk asks.

“Yes,” the three of them reply, annoyed. 

“Let’s do this!” Shiro shouts as his lion takes off, running through the barrier with the rest of them behind him. 

Once the temporary adrenaline wear off, everyone questions how exactly they’re going to form Voltron, “Uh how?” Lance voices their concerns. 

“Good question,” Shiro replies, trying to keep up his positive attitude, “Does anyone have any idea of how to form Voltron?” he asks as a swarm of fighters gain on them.

“I don’t see a ‘combine into giant robot’ button anywhere on my dashboard!” Hunk replies, the fighters littering the ground behind them with lasers, debris and smoke clouding bellowing around them.

“This is insane!” Pidge shouts, “Can’t they just cease fire for one minute so we can figure this out! Is that too much to ask?” They turn their lion around and it jumps up, grabbing onto the wing of one of the fighters and launching it into a second one behind them. 

The rest of them stay in formation as they defend themselves against the fighters, “We’re gotta do something,” Keith says as he shoots down another fighter with his lion’s tail laser. 

Hunk crashes his lion into Keith’s as he shouts, “Combine!” somehow hoping that that would help but it only serves to knock the Red Lion down.

“Hey!” Keith barks angrily.

“Okay, that didn’t work,” Hunk says apologetically, fighters coming up behind them and driving them forward again. 

“Quickly, Paladins!” Allura orders them through the intercom, “Our energy levels are getting low!” she groans as the castle endures another hit. 

“Maybe if we fly in formation , we’ll just combine,” Shiro suggests, trying to be as confident sounding as possible even though he doubts it’ll work, “Take off on my cue.”

He counts off as the lions run towards a cliff, “One, two, three, Voltron!” he shouts and they jump off the cliff, flying up into the sky in a V-formation. 

“Here we go!” Keith says as they groan in concentration, all of them trying to tap into whatever force will allow them to transform. 

“Come on, come on,” Lance mutters, squeezing his eyes shut. 

Shiro hates that his suspicions were right and frown slightly, “Nothing’s happening.”

Lance opens his eyes when he feels something pulling him forward, “Hey, wait, wait, wait!” he stutters, “I feel something!” 

“I do, too. I feel it,” Hunk agrees, “It’s like we’re all being pulled in the same direction!”

Shiro notices a red light surrounding them and looks up, cursing under his breath when he sees a tractor beam from the Galra battleship pulling them up, “Uh, guys, I think I know why. Look up.”

“They’re using their tractor beam!” Keith exclaims, recognizing it, “We need disable it as soon as possible or else there’s nothing we can do!”

The ion cannon charges up and fires a blast of purple energy toward the castle, enveloping it in fire. This time, however, the fire doesn’t fade like usually and instead the particle barrier explodes into dust, leaving the castle vulnerable.

“Oh no!” Hunk shouts, “I don’t care what you say Shiro! I’m panicking now!”

Keith grips the handles tightly and stares up at the ship as it recharges its ion cannon, the purple light growing, “It can’t end here,” he whispers, refusing to believe that everything he’s been through was for nothing just because they couldn’t form Voltron. 

Shiro opens his mouth to say some words of encouragement when a huge blast, seemingly coming from nowhere, hits the side of the battleship, disabling the tractor beam and interrupting the charging of the cannon. 

“Was that the castle?” Pidge asks, grinning when they realize their lion is free to move again. 

Keith turns his head, following where the blast came from, and grins when he sees another Galra ship, this one isn’t from the Empire though and it’s obvious from its different design and large insignia, “No, the Blades got here in time!” 

“We’re here to help,” Antok’s image is projected in each of their lions and the castle, “We will provide cover and protect the castle while you form Voltron. That is necessary for us to win this battle.” Antok’s connection cuts off before any of them can reply and the ship fires another blast, further damaging the cannon. 

Shiro grins and finds his voice again, “This is our chance! Everyone is relying on us! We can’t fail!” he shouts, “We won’t fail! If we work together, we’ll win together!” 

“Yeah!” everyone exclaims in unison, inspired by Shiro’s words and the intensity of the situation. The Paladins feel an overwhelming pull to not only their lions but the lions around them and they lean into the feeling, allowing it to wash over them. 

The lions’ eyes turn yellow and they lift up their heads in a roar together as they fly up towards the sky. In a burst of color and blinding light, the lions transform, first into their own individual pieces and then they come together, attaching to the main torso of the Black Lion, with a deafening roar. Smoke from attacks on the ship fade to reveals the huge robot, its fist lodged in the side of the ship. 

“I can’t believe we did it!”

“We formed Voltron!”

“I’m a leg!”

“How are we doing this?!”

“I don’t know,” Shiro says with a laugh, “But let’s get that cannon!” he shouts as he pushes his handles forward, the moment of celebration is over quickly and the team focuses back on the situation at hand. 

The Red and Green Lion, as the arms of Voltron, grab onto the ion cannon and they pull back, tearing the cannon off the ship and flinging it toward the planet below them. Voltron cocks back its right arm and smashes it into the ship, the Red Lion’s mouth opening and shooting its laser from the inside of the ship, rendering its exterior armor useless. 

The one blast causes a huge explosion that shakes the whole ship and they quickly do it again, this time aiming for the main source of power. Allura and Coran watching from the castle and the Blades do as well, all of them in awe as Voltron literally tears through the ship. 

Violent explosions ripple through the ship and, within seconds, it’s completely destroyed and crashes down on the planet, sinking into the water under it. Everyone holds their breath for a moment, waiting until they’re sure they actually succeeded, before they erupt in loud cheers, the intercoms filled will congratulations and sighs of relief.

_____________________________________________________

“We won the battle, but the war has only just begun,” Allura says, addressing everyone inside the large entrance hall of the castle once the Paladins and the Blades come down, “I’m afraid Zarkon will not stop until he gets these lions and we have a lot ahead of us. I understand now, thanks to Keith,” she says as she glances at him, giving him a small nod, “that we must work with everyone who is willing to join us against your fight against Voltron. No matter who they are.”

A chorus of nods respond and Allura turns toward the screen behind her, “Would you like to say something too, Kolivan?” she asks politely.

“Yes, thank you, Princess,” Kolivan says with a nod, “I would like to applaud the work of the Paladins and the Blades, I’m proud to see two of our own becoming Paladins of Voltron. As the Princess said, there is much for us to do if we are to defeat the Empire and free the universe but having Voltron is sure to give us the upper hand. We should be quick to plan our next step but I’m sure everyone is tired so we will get to that tomorrow.”

Coran bursts into the hall, pushing a long, hovering table stocking full of all kinds of food, “The food is here!” he exclaims, “Let the feast begin!”

For a night, everyone forgets the struggle ahead of them and focuses on the victory, talking and eating with one another. Keith isn’t one for crowds so after catching up with a few friends that came on the mission he brings his plate outside, looking for a nice place to sit when he feels a tap on his shoulder. 

Keith turns and smiles when he faces Shiro, “Mind if I join you?” he asks, holding his own plate.

Taking his hand silently, Keith nods and leads him to a nearby spot surrounded by foreign plants and in view of the sun setting over the water. They sit down on the soft grass covered in dew and lean against each other, stretching their legs out in front of them. 

Keith basks in the fading sunlight, letting it warm him, and purrs happily when he feels Shiro scratching behind his ear. He tilts his head up and smiles at him, “I’m glad this whole thing is over,” he says in relief. 

Shiro raises his brow and can’t help laugh, kissing the top of his head, “This is only just the beginning, Keith.”

The sun starts to disappear past the horizon and seems to sink into the ocean, turning the water a bright orange and red. Keith hums contently and rests his head on Shiro’s shoulder, “I guess that’s true. But everything will be different from now on,” he says quietly, “In a good way though. Especially now that I have you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!
> 
> This is the last update unfortunately but thank you so much for following this fic and for all your support!


End file.
